The hashtag elicited countless pictures of dogs wearing t-shirts and people clad in maroon and gold, as well as astronomical numbers of donations.

But #ElonDay should go deeper than that.

As the occasion stands, the crux of Elon Day is an appeal for donations. The birthday of Elon University is certainly something to be celebrated. But the university’s history and accomplishments should come first.

Donations are critical to Elon’s financial success, and there’s nothing wrong with emphasizing them. But the event’s marketing relies too heavily on accumulating donors.

The underlying goal, enticing people to donate, is thinly veiled by attempts to generate a world-wide community celebration via social media and alumni networks.

This year’s campaign asks students, alumni and friends of the university to show they believe in Elon.

But Elon isn’t Santa Claus. We already believe. We can feel the bricks with our own hands. Pleading with us to throw more money at the school won’t make it more real.

Undoubtedly, a considerable amount of effort and planning went into Elon Day. Those responsible should be commended for what they achieved, given the pressure to exceed last year’s total donor turnout of 1,013 people and total donations of  $116,867.

And the orchestrators of Elon Day certainly aimed to outdo last year’s shindig. Not only did they up Elon Day’s presence on social media and employ a live stream of the day’s many (22) celebrations, but they assigned 60 faculty and staff members to the task of making the day spectacular. Assistant Vice President of University Advancement John Barnhill said last year only seven or eight people were responsible for Elon Day.

Elon Day should be less about tallying totals and more about appreciating the experience and the people who have made it what it is.

It’s not that we don’t want to celebrate Elon — we do. It’s our home for four years, and we’re proud to say that. But nothing spoils an occasion like throwing yourself a birthday party and specifically requesting that people give you more presents than last year.