Today in front of John F. Kennedy Library, EWU hosted a “Giving Joy Day” booth in the spirit of Giving Tuesday, an international event held on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The event aims to spread awareness about Giving Joy Day and to encourage generosity, not only in terms of emotional generosity but in philanthropic endeavors as well.

“Mostly, it raises awareness for students [to know] how we raise funds, [where] they go, how the money comes in [and] how it gets used,” said Shelley Stickelmeyer, Quality Service Coordinator at EWU. “So when [students] get to the other side [as alumni] and they’re actually working, when they hear Giving Joy Day, they know what it means and they will reciprocate and give back.”

For the event, EWU set up a booth right in front of the steps of JFK Library where they served hot drinks and candy, all free of charge. They were also heating lamps set up near the booth. Popularity was high amongst the student body as the booth was full of students grabbing drinks and candy. Coffee was the choice for most.

Some did not actually know what the booth was when first arriving but nonetheless felt the cause was important.

“I feel like [alumni giving back to students] is important because you’re actually giving back to the people who need it, so it’s kind of worth the time to actually do it,” EWU sophomore Christina Murillo said.

The goal for EWU is to raise $100,00 by the end of the day and they have exceeded that goal already, with the current count standing at $101,567 raised as of 4 pm Tuesday. Numerica Credit Union will match the donations with a $25,000 contribution of their own.