Elon Day 2016 commenced at 9:40 a.m. today in front of the Alamance Building with a special College Coffee.
During College Coffee, Elon University revealed its new logo. Tables were laid out with enough stickers, baseball hats and t-shirts for those in attendance to take for free.
Patiently waiting in the long line of students to get a hat, senior Monica Evans explained her excitement for the annual event.
“This Elon Day is already off to a great start, and the fact that it’s my last year makes me a little sentimental,” Evans said.
The Student Alumni Ambassadors from the Office of Alumni Engagement had its own table and handed out miniature bags with candy and flyers. The goal was to remind students they will eventually be the benefactors rather than the beneficiaries after they graduate.
“Elon Day is the founding day of Elon and the biggest day we ask for donations," said junior Morgan Stonebridge. "As Student Alumni Ambassadors, it’s important to remind fellow students of our motto: 'Students today, alumni forever.'"
By the beginning of College Coffee, more than $100,000 in donations had poured in from alumni, reaching the first contribution goal of the day.
Elon Day's website is constantly updated with names of recent donors and the number of gifts donated since the beginning of the day.
Several members of the Elon community are participating in the Elon Day events on campus for the first time.
Program Assistant for Campus Recreation Shannon Soltis said she hasn’t been working at Elon for very long but was impressed with the festivity that she had seen.
“I just feel like it brings everyone together and reminds everyone that Elon is a great place to work and be a student at,” Soltis said.
By 10 a.m., #ElonDay was trending on Twitter as students and alumni alike from all over the world flooded social media with the hashtag supporting their alma mater.
The special College Coffee event was the first of many to celebrate the founding day of Elon.