Tom Benner (’73, Spartan Proud) stayed up past midnight to make a $50 gift to the St. Louis MSU alumni club scholarship fund just minutes after the 2016 Give Green Day festivities kicked off.
Later in the day, he made a second $50 gift to the Student Emergency Assistance Fund. Benner has seen, firsthand, how both of these scholarship funds make a difference in students’ lives.
“The students that come to MSU from St. Louis come because they love the atmosphere at Michigan State, and the opportunities it offers them,” Benner said. “Our endowment, along with other scholarship opportunities, helps them close their funding gaps.”
Benner has been a leader in the St. Louis MSU alumni club since its inception, and he gladly took on the task of spreading the word, sharing on social media and encouraging his fellow St. Louis Spartans to give. They were happy to oblige.
“Once the momentum kicked in,” he added, “the whole day started to feel like one big crowdfunding effort, and the excitement was infectious.”
Find out about this year’s Give Green Day on Nov. 28.