Auburn Family unites to make Tiger Giving Day a success

Student- and faculty-led projects receive needed funds

Article body

Auburn University’s sixth Tiger Giving Day, held on Feb. 24, funded 40 projects to benefit students, faculty and surrounding communities. More than 5,100 donors gave, with more than half of the projects being funded by noon and all featured projects having met their funding goals by midnight that day.

Betsy Stallworth, a project coordinator for The Gene Machine, was thrilled with the support they received. The Gene Machine provides genetic screening and counseling in the fight against breast cancer. They raised funds to help modify their protocols for a virtual environment.

“The contributions will help us continue our research in hereditary breast cancer. We will be able to increase study enrollment, provide more gene screenings and offer education sessions through our new virtual protocols,” she said.

One of the student-led projects, benefitting the Rocketry Association, can now make long-term investments in their lab space and keep students working for years to come. According to Lindsey Waggoner, project lead and aerospace engineering major, the goal is to help current students and to create opportunities for future Auburn engineers.

“It means the world to me that the Auburn Family supported our project,” Waggoner said. “Auburn has a strong legacy in rocketry and space exploration, and I’m grateful to all our donors for helping us continue this legacy. It was also inspiring to see so many Auburn alumni give back; I love to see that graduates still feel pride in their Auburn education, and that they are dedicated to improving the student experience for others.” 

Tiger Giving Day donors helped the following projects:

  • The Oaks Agency, Auburn’s student-run public relations agency, can secure needed equipment. ($10,381 raised from 136 donors)

  • The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art can customize their mobile museum. ($15,860 raised from 208 donors)

  • The Auburn Alumni Association created a scholarship to honor trailblazer Dr. Josetta Brittain Matthews. ($29,950 raised from 346 donors)

  • Researchers in the College of Sciences and Mathematics can decode and sequence the original Auburn Oaks’ DNA. ($10,770 raised from 167 donors)

  • Personal protective equipment can be provided to Honors College students to perform volunteer work. ($11,520 raised from 143 donors)

  • Auburn Aquaponics can purchase new systems for its tanks and enable food production and undergraduate agriculture jobs. ($11,225 raised from 170 donors)

  • The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, can fund exciting public programs. ($12,855 raised from 108 donors)

  • Auburn Geosciences can recruit and support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. ($9,035 raised from 100 donors)

  • Top talent can be recruited to Auburn’s wheelchair basketball team through athletic scholarships. ($97,886 raised from 311 donors)

  • More families seeking services for children with autism can access early-intervention support. ($18,157 raised from 258 donors)

  • More students will benefit from the Together We Will Scholarship Fund, an effort by Auburn Athletics and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity to achieve a robust and diverse enrollment of students. ($287,400 raised from 262 donors)

  • The Alabama Cooperative Extension System can purchase and install raised garden beds for Alabama 4-H students, allowing them to participate in seasonal planting, harvesting and consumption of garden varieties. ($9,655 raised from 134 donors)

  • The Auburn University Libraries can preserve historic videos capturing Auburn student life, research, sporting events and more. ($11,968 raised from 197 donors)

  • School of Nursing students can get needed iPads to conduct Tiger Checks, a yearly health screening to children in the Macon and Bullock County school systems. ($13,920 raised from 122 donors)

  • The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering can expand its Academic Excellence Program, providing enhanced opportunities for scholarship and community. ($13,464 raised from 154 donors)

  • The Autonomous Tiger Racing team can participate in the Indy Autonomous Challenge in Indianapolis. ($12,025 raised from 137 donors)

  • Minority agriculture and forestry and wildlife sciences students can access professional development and recruitment opportunities. ($10,000 raised from 119 donors)

  • The Harbert Financial Leadership Collaborative’s investment lab can be outfitted to prepare students for successful financial careers. ($40,797 raised from 325 donors)

  • The Gene Machine can continue to provide genetic screening and counseling, continuing the fight against breast cancer. ($14,909 raised from 217 donors)

  • The Rocketry Association can now purchase long-term reusable safety equipment. ($5,010 raised from 74 donors)

  • Drones to promote hands-on learning can be secured for the Greater Alabama Black Belt Region STEM Initiative summer academies. ($12,155 raised from 120 donors)

  • Auburn detection puppies in Canine Performance Sciences can now be transported with a new, custom-built dog transportation trailer. ($34,476 raised from 361 donors)

  • The McWhorter School of Building Science can create a digital history of Bloody Sunday for use in civil rights education and museums. ($8,320 raised from 118 donors)

  • The Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University can help provide healthy food to those in need. ($11,730 raised from 186 donors)

  • The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences can purchase 10 new Total Stations, the industry-standard technology for surveying. ($39,581 raised from 144 donors)

  • The School of Kinesiology can provide equipment and training for adaptive exercise programs. ($16,689 raised from 196 donors)

  • More 10-12th grade students can participate in Auburn’s World Affairs Youth Seminar, which includes Model United Nations. ($3,710 raised from 54 donors)

  • The Student Alumni Association can provide annual scholarships to rising seniors. ($5,380 raised from 102 donors)

  • The College of Veterinary Medicine can plant live oaks in its new equine pasture, providing needed shade. ($16,200 raised from 104 donors)

  • At-risk youth in Tuskegee can experience comprehensive after-school programming, with inclusive support services. ($10,490 raised from 181 donors)

  • More student veterans can receive scholarship support. ($119,045 raised from 205 donors)

  • Initial construction funds were provided for a new rehabilitation aviary for injured raptors at the Southeastern Raptor Center. ($33,926 raised from 361 donors)

  • The College of Sciences and Mathematics can provide a math boot camp to veterans returning to the classroom. ($13,572 raised from 115 donors)

  • The Harrison School of Pharmacy can bring essential care packages to assisted-living residents. ($11,665 raised from 191 donors)

  • The Gogue Performing Arts Center can install a full set of outdoor Rhapsody VibraChimes. ($12,965 raised from 132 donors)

  • Campus Kitchen can purchase a blast chiller to save unserved food. ($13,302 raised from 190 donors)

  • The Kreher Preserve can plant a sustainable landscape around its new Environmental Education Building. ($11,730 raised from 144 donors)

  • Graduate Women in Science can spark science interest in schools with demos and take-home supplies. ($3,160 raised from 73 donors)

  • The National Pan-Hellenic Council Legacy Plaza to recognize the  contributions of Black student organizations received needed funds for construction. ($31,240 raised from 623 donors)

  • Outreach funds for K-12 students can be provided to inspire the next generation of Auburn engineers. ($14,800 raised from 205 donors)

All projects and their updates can be viewed at TigerGiving.org.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.