On a very green Tuesday last November, Spartans near and far came together to make a better tomorrow. In fact, they gave more than $788,000 during MSU’s one-day fundraising event to support projects and students across campus.
Dick Bush (’70) and his wife Patty McGuigan were the 2018 Give Green Day sponsors, putting forth a $50,000 contribution that helped kick off the effort and bolstered participation through 2:1 gift matches.
Dick and Patty have been longtime supporters of Michigan State. When Dick passed away after a brief illness last summer, Patty established the Richard C. Bush Endowed Scholarship as a tribute to her Spartan husband. But their impact already could be seen in several locations on campus. They funded Three Mothers Patio outside the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, and the installation of a copper beech tree and nearby bench on the north side of the International Center.
“I want to pay back for the great experiences I had at MSU,” Dick had said about being Give Green Day sponsors.
Following Dick and Patty’s Give Green Day leadership, 31 campus programs and 65 alumni clubs set fundraising goals for Give Green Day last fall. Two major building projects got a big boost: the Eli Broad College of Business pulled in $71,584 to put toward completion of the new Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion, while the College of Music raised $36,402 to support the construction of the Billman Music Pavilion.
Three MSU colleges—the College of Arts and Letters, the Honors College and the College of Natural Science—raised thousands for student emergency assistance funds to support students who face financial difficulties or unforeseen expenses.
Thank you to Dick and Patty for making the 2018 Give Green Day so fun. I made my first gift to MSU that day. And I was proud to wear the green and white philanthropy cord at graduation.
JIAHAO SHE, ’19
First-Time Donor
Gifts to these causes and many more went right to work impacting the lives of MSU students.
Gifts ranged from $1 to $20,500, and originated from 48 states and 11 countries, including Costa Rica, India, the Netherlands and Indonesia. Donors ranged from students making their first gift to seasoned donors who got a jump-start on their year-end giving. More than 200 gifts came from students, more than 900 from friends of MSU, more than 2,800 from alumni and almost 400 from MSU faculty and staff.
Give Green Day is held every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. The day takes advantage of the timing of Giving Tuesday, a global day of philanthropy that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Mark your calendar for December 3, 2019, to take part in this year’s Give Green Day.
LEARN MORE about becoming a Give Green Day sponsor or about the Richard C. Bush Endowed Scholarship by contacting Senior Director of Annual Giving Kathleen Deneau at deneauk@msu.edu; (517) 884-1136.
Lois Furry, '89