2009 Champagne Luncheon Fetes Oberlin Alumni Fundraisers

The big tent on Wilder Bowl was buzzing with Oberlin alumni of all ages during this year’s champagne luncheon. The annual event, which takes place on the Sunday of Commencement/Reunion Weekend, celebrates the fundraising efforts of Oberlin alumni and sets the stage for one of the weekend’s biggest announcements – the first public reveal of the Oberlin Alumni Fund’s reunion gift totals for the current fiscal year.

And what a reveal it was! Overall, the combined reunion classes raised $17,307,838.00 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year – eclipsing last year’s total of $12,399,855.00. The class of 1959 raised $7,055,694 to celebrate their 50th reunion, with more than a 78 percent participation rate among alumni donors from that class year. Several post-luncheon gifts, totaling $1 million, ensured that the group set a new 50th reunion record. The 35th reunion cluster – which included the classes of 1973, 1974, and 1975 – also set a new reunion record, raising $8,167,776.00 for the year. Previously, this record was held by the 1952, 1953, and 1954 reunion cluster, which raised $1,512,612.00 in 1987-1988.

Not to be outdone, the classes of 1943, 1944, and 1945 raised $1,626,913.00, with a combined participation rate of 65.9 percent across their 65th reunion cluster. The class of 1984, which celebrated its 25th reunion this year, boasted a 58 percent participation rate, while the youngest alumni attending the celebration – the classes of 1993, 1994, and 1995 – dove headlong into this year’s fundraising efforts to raise $116,777.00 and boost their participation rate up to 26.3 percent from last year’s participation total of 16.7 percent.

Marcus Fowler, associate director of stewardship (left), and Shane Rock '84 post reunion totals at the champagne luncheon.

In addition to the reunion classes, the class of 2009 raised $15,897.00 toward the senior gift. Oberlin seniors chose to make a gift to the Yakubu Saaka Memorial Scholarship in honor of former Professor of African American Studies Yakubu Saaka, who passed away earlier in the academic year. They also donated a portion of their gift to the SEED (Student Experiment in Ecological Design) House, which was developed last fall by three graduating seniors. SEED House is Oberlin’s newest theme-housing option, and the first ResEd living space to focus on sustainable living.

“The champagne luncheon is the perfect place to have Oberlin’s newest alumni mix and mingle with past generations of Obies,” says Elizabeth Anderson, assistant director of the Oberlin Alumni Fund and the staff member responsible for organizing each year’s senior gift drive. "There is a need for a culture of ‘giving back’ to Oberlin. There also needs to be an understanding, by the students, of how much alumni support Oberlin. I believe that the champagne luncheon helped the newest alumni class understand what kind of impact they can have on the student body once they leave.”

To encourage this spirit of giving, President Marvin Krislov challenged the class of 2009 to increase their participation rate. Krislov has promised to donate $250 to the senior gift fund if the class reaches a 50 percent participation rate, $500 if it reaches a 60 percent participation rate, and $1,000 if it reaches a 70 percent participation rate. With the June 30 deadline a little less than a month away, Anderson is confident that the senior class will meet the President’s challenge.

“I think that the class of 2009 is excited to see what it can do now as well as in the future." Anderson adds.

Seniors looking to support their class gift can do so online.

The Oberlin Alumni Fund sincerely thanks its class agents and all other volunteers who make this event a wonderful part of Commencement/Reunion Weekend. For more information on either volunteering or reunion giving, please contact the Oberlin Alumni Fund at 1-800-693-3167 or alumni.fund@oberlin.edu