Fund for Mary Washington

UMW Community Donates a Record-Breaking $1.33 Million on Mary Wash Day

May 5, 2025 Leave a Comment

When Eagles come together, truly amazing things happen. The entire University of Mary Washington community recently demonstrated that, rallying to raise over $1.33 million on Mary Wash Day to support students, faculty, and programs.

A total of 2,565 donors helped crush participation goals, making 3,654 gifts during the 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement, held April 2-3 from noon to noon. Alumni, families, friends, faculty, staff, and students collectively unlocked hundreds of thousands of dollars in challenges and matches sponsored by generous donors, doubling and tripling the impact of each gift.

2025’s Mary Wash Day was the most successful in the event’s eight-year history, with donors giving $1.33 million to support UMW students, faculty, and programs.

Student giving more than doubled from last year’s event, and many participated in activities at the Mary Wash Day headquarters on the Cedric Rucker University Center patio on April 2. Here, two students take photos at the selfie station with a puppy brought to campus by Old Dominion Humane Society.

A student poses for a photo with UMW mascot Sammy D. Eagle at the Mary Wash Day headquarters on April 2.

Students made gifts to many areas across campus, such as UMW Votes, and thanked supporters for their donations on Mary Wash Day.

At the Mary Wash Day headquarters, students had the opportunity to play games and win prizes, such as an illustrated Mary Wash tote bag, UMW bento boxes, and socks decorated with iconic Mary Washington-themed images of the Bell Tower and Adirondack chairs.

Students participated in a scavenger hunt to find stuffed eagles hidden across campus and win donations to the areas of their choice, thanks to a gift by Beth Craig ’77.

The UMW Pep Band (seen here) and UMW Symfonics a cappella group performed at the Mary Wash Day headquarters on the Cedric Rucker University Center patio.

“This achievement isn’t just about surpassing a financial goal – it’s a powerful testament to the extraordinary commitment of the UMW community to invest in the University’s mission,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14.

Mary Wash Day saw a 58 percent increase in giving over last year’s event and passed the million-dollar mark for the first time in Mary Wash Day’s eight-year history, she said. “This milestone shows that when Eagles unite around a shared purpose, there’s no limit to how high we can soar or what we can accomplish together.”

Donors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as those from overseas, made gifts to 124 different areas across the University, benefiting academics, arts, athletics, service, career, and cultural programs.

The unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington, which underpins every aspect for which UMW is known and loved – a leading liberal arts and sciences education, small class sizes, personal relationships with professors, and low student debt upon graduation – received the most gifts. Other popular designations included UMW Theatre, the College of Education, Women’s Basketball, Simpson Library, and the Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship, honoring the late geography professor.

“Breaking the million-dollar mark for the first time on Mary Wash Day is a truly historic moment for the University of Mary Washington,” President Troy Paino said. “These gifts directly enhance the student experience, empower our faculty, and strengthen the programs that define a Mary Washington education. We are deeply grateful, and this milestone affirms the enduring impact of our collective commitment to UMW’s future.”

Young alumni pose for photos at the happy hour and trivia night on April 2, sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Alumni Network.

Students celebrate a successful Mary Wash Day on the steps of the Cedric Rucker University Center, which was illuminated in Mary Wash blue on April 2.

Alumni of all ages gathered in the Hurley Convergence Center on the evening of April 2 for a happy hour and trivia night, sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Alumni Network.

The Jepson Science Center was illuminated in Mary Wash blue on the evening of April 2.

For the first time ever, Mary Wash Day spanned from noon to noon. UMW faculty, staff, and students enjoyed a brisk Mary Wash Day walk sponsored by Campus Recreation to kick off the morning of April 3.

Festivities kicked off with a celebration on the patio of the Cedric Rucker University Center, which served as the Mary Wash Day headquarters. Students played games, won prizes, took photos with UMW mascot Sammy D. Eagle, made gifts, and wrote thank you messages to the donors who made their Mary Washington experience possible. They also were treated to performances by the UMW Pep Band and the Symfonics a cappella group, as well as a campus-wide scavenger hunt to find stuffed eagles and win donations for the areas of their choice across the University.

The Fredericksburg Regional Alumni Network held a happy hour and trivia night that evening at the Hurley Convergence Center, and the Cedric Rucker University Center and Jepson Science Center were illuminated in Mary Wash blue. Faculty, staff, and students gathered for a brisk walk the next morning from the Anderson Center to the Bell Tower, sponsored by Campus Recreation.

Other giving highlights of Mary Wash Day include:

2025 marks the first year Mary Wash Day giving has surpassed seven figures.
Alumni and students from almost every class year between 1948 and 2028 made a gift.
Student giving more than doubled from last year, and the Class of 2025 was among the top 10 classes to make the most gifts.
Mary Wash Day saw a 59 percent increase in first-time donors, with 649 new supporters making gifts in 2025.
The classes that made the most gifts (starting with the greatest amount) were 2020, 2004, 2024, 2002, and 2010.
The classes that raised the most funds (starting with the greatest amount) were 1973, 1968, 1969, 1971, and 1974.
Goats (even-year graduates) bested the Devils (odd-year graduates), with Goats making 1,082 gifts versus the Devils’ 851. The Goats also won the 99th annual Devil-Goat Day in April.
Giving from Friends of the University nearly doubled, with 290 making gifts in 2025.

If you missed Mary Wash Day or want to support UMW students even more, there’s still time. The University’s giving year ends on June 30, and online gifts can be made at umw.edu/gift.

– Article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Alumna’s Bequest Bolsters Fund for Mary Washington

September 9, 2024 Leave a Comment

When Lynne Gourley Farrell ’62 was growing up, her parents were always helping a family in need. “Her sense of benevolence came from our mother and father as well as our church,” Judy Gourley Kamishlian ’59 said of her late sister, who held such a deep appreciation for her Mary Washington education that she spent the rest of her life giving back to her alma mater.

Lynne Gourley Farrell '62 and Judy Gourley Kamishlian '59. — Lynne Gourley Farrell ’62 and Judy Gourley Kamishlian ’59.

When she passed away on Aug. 27, 2020, Lynne left UMW a generous estate gift that helped establish the Lynne Gourley Farrell ’62 Fund for Mary Washington Endowment. Now part of her legacy, her endowment will help strengthen and grow the University and enhance the experience for current and future generations of students.

The unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington underpins every aspect for which the University is known and loved – a leading liberal arts and sciences education, small class sizes, personal relationships with professors and classmates, low student debt upon graduation, and more. Donors who give to the Fund help UMW’s leadership achieve a crucial flexibility to meet emerging student, faculty, and program opportunities.

“For Lynne, making unrestricted gifts was a thing of principle,” Judy said. “She always trusted Mary Washington to make the best and wisest decision when it came to her donations.”

Growing up in the small mill town of Fieldale, Virginia, Lynne and Judy’s parents were active in their church, fostering in their daughters a belief in helping others and an intellectual curiosity.

“They always expected us to go to college,” said Judy, who applied to Mary Washington because of its “reputation as an academically outstanding Virginia women’s college.” Lynne joined her, earning a degree in clothing and textiles, while studying art, music, and literature. “Our education opened up a bigger world for us, and Lynne took advantage of that.”

From left to right: Judy's daughter, Ella, and her grandson, Mitchell, with Judy and Lynne at Mitchell's high school graduation. Photo courtesy of Judy Gourley Kamishlian '59. — From left to right: Judy’s daughter, Ella, and her grandson, Mitchell, with Judy and Lynne at Mitchell’s high school graduation. Photo courtesy of Judy Gourley Kamishlian ’59.

After graduation, Lynne worked in marketing for Thalhimers, a department store chain based in Richmond, and taught elementary school for several years, bonding with students who kept in touch with her over her lifetime. She also traveled extensively – with husband Paul and later with Judy – and was an advocate for education, community, and the arts, supporting the United Way, the Virginia Beach Foundation, and the ACCESS College Foundation, even endowing a scholarship in memory of a friend.

Lynne’s obituary, penned by Judy, recognizes UMW as the greatest benefactor of her gifts. At Lynne’s humble request, the sisters named the Gourley Living Room in the Cedric Rucker University Center in 2015, honoring their late parents and the values they instilled in them.

And yet, given her commitment to the Fund for Mary Washington, it seemed fitting that her endowment should bear her name. “She was proud to lead in this,” Judy said. “Lynne would want to inspire others to give, just as she did.”

For information about funding an endowment or to make a gift to the Fund for Mary Washington, visit giving.umw.edu or contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

– This article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 originally ran in the Fiscal Year 2023 Endowment Report.

Seventh Annual Mary Wash Day Brings #TogetherUMW, April 4

March 5, 2024 Leave a Comment

UMW graduates Matt and Sarah Balenger Good ’19 land on the exact same word to describe their experience at the University of Mary Washington, where they met, fell in love, and earned degrees in political science and psychology, respectively.

“It was more impactful than I could have ever imagined,” said Sarah, who was on UMW’s Honor Council all four years, becoming its president as a senior, and currently works in autism services. Matt, who followed the same track in the Student Government Association and is now employed in public safety, agrees. “I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without Mary Washington.”

The seventh annual Mary Wash Day will be held April 4 with the theme of #TogetherUMW. The 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement supports UMW students, faculty, and programs.

On Mary Wash Day, the couple is sponsoring a challenge to inspire graduates from the last decade to make their first-ever gift to their alma mater on Thursday, April 4, a day celebrating all contributions to the University. “We want to ensure that students today have the experiences we had and that young alumni get involved at Mary Washington,” Sarah said.

Eagles everywhere are encouraged to show off their Mary Wash pride during the 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement, now in its seventh year, enjoying fun and festivities while making a difference in the lives of students for generations to come.

With a theme of #TogetherUMW, the event unites the entire Mary Washington community in support of students and faculty, as well as academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career, and cultural programs. Donors will have the chance to give to more than 80 different areas across the University.

After exceeding expectations last year with a grand total of $621,528 raised, UMW is striving toward a goal of 2,500 gifts from 1,000 alumni donors and 250 new supporters in 2024.

“These funds help Mary Washington continue to provide a public liberal arts and sciences education filled with impactful learning opportunities to current and future UMW students,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. Every gift made on Mary Wash Day – regardless of size – has the potential of doubling and even tripling its impact, thanks to more than $400,000 in challenges and matches sponsored by generous donors, she said.

Mary Wash Day donations help keep UMW’s class sizes small and provide undergraduate research opportunities for students to work alongside UMW faculty mentors. Here, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Pamela Grothe ’06 teaches a course exploring sedimentation.

Gifts on Mary Wash Day to Friends of Athletics or to a specific sports program provide critical support to help enhance the UMW student-athlete experience. Contributions fund athletic facilities, competition travel, professional development opportunities, custom-training equipment, and more. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Service and volunteer experiences give UMW students the chance to make a difference on campus and in the community while exploring leadership roles and potential careers. Gifts on Mary Wash Day support COAR and the Center for Community Engagement, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, the Gwen Hale Resource Center, and other entities that provide valuable and meaningful experiences for students.

Contributions to the UMW Philharmonic on Mary Wash Day help students explore their musical passions while providing arts and cultural experiences for the greater Fredericksburg community. Gifts can also be made to UMW Theatre, UMW Galleries, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, the James Monroe Museum, and the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Mary Wash Day helps students who participate in campus clubs, organizations, and other activities, such as UMW’s Esports team, pursue interests outside of class while building relationships with their peers.

Gifts can be made on the Mary Wash Day website April 4 to support the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington, which helps UMW’s leadership meet emerging student, faculty, and program opportunities. Supporters can also give to other key areas of need, such as the General Scholarship Fund, the Technology Assistance Fund, and initiatives to bolster campus preservation and diversity and inclusion.

In addition to tracking progress through dynamic online leaderboards, new events and activities planned by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement and campus partners will build momentum and excitement leading up to and throughout the day.

Festivities kick off with a faculty and staff “grab and go” breakfast on the steps of the Cedric Rucker University Center, which will double as a student headquarters with thank you note, selfie, and donation stations; games and prizes; and more. UMW Dining will host a Mary Wash Day lunch with themed cookies for the occasion.

Students can participate in a scavenger hunt to find stuffed eagles planted across campus, catch a ride and answer UMW trivia in the Eagle Cash Cart, or snag a rubber eagle from the fountain in front of Monroe Hall.

That evening, the Cedric Rucker University Center will be lit in Mary Wash Day blue. Fredericksburg area alumni can join in a happy hour at Rey Azteca in Eagle Village, followed by trivia (in person and via Zoom) in the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium, led by Alumni Association board member Karmel James ’13. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Eric Gable will host a happy hour garden party for the Richmond Alumni Regional Network.

Alumni can also request a brand new UMW pet bowtie through an online form and are encouraged to post pictures of their dapper dogs, chic cats, trendy turtles, and other animal friends with the tags #MaryWashDay and #UMWAlumni.

Members of the UMW community are invited to serve as Mary Wash Day ambassadors to inspire others to contribute. Anyone can sign up to receive access to a customized dashboard and toolkit.

More information about Mary Wash Day can be found on the FAQ Page. To sponsor a challenge or match, please contact Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14 at sorlando@umw.edu or (540) 654-1361.

-Article written by Associate Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

UMW’s Giving Tuesday Totals Top $215K

December 12, 2023 Leave a Comment

That’s a wrap! Donors to the University of Mary Washington gave more than $215,000, based on preliminary totals, in support of the UMW student experience during 2023’s Giving Tuesday celebration on Nov. 28.

Members of the Mary Washington community – including alumni, families, friends, faculty, staff, and students – gathered together for the 24-hour event to #MakeItPossible on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, contributing 575 gifts to areas across the University.

Nearly 300 alumni made gifts, helping to unlock more than $45,000 in matching and challenge funds from generous donors, inspiring others to give and maximizing the impact of each gift.

“I’m always amazed at the way our Mary Washington family comes together for students on Giving Tuesday year after year,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. “Their enthusiastic support is a testament to their generosity and belief in UMW’s mission.”

The following challenges and matches were met in full on Giving Tuesday:

$12,500 match from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for gifts of $500 or less to the Fund for Mary Washington
$10,000 challenge gift from Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 after 200 gifts were made in November to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, a College of Arts and Sciences initiative, which focused on student study abroad this year
$5,000 match for the College of Business from the COB Executive Advisory Board
$5,000 match for the Veterans Endowment from Brian ’84 and Erma Baker ’82
$5,000 match for the General Scholarship Fund from Alec and Betty Olander Adams ’69

Ryan Donaldson ’14 donated in honor of his former roommate, who had served in the military. “I’d like to make it easier for veterans like him to go to college,” he said.

Ryan’s gift of $19.08 also earned him the opportunity to name a campus squirrel after his current roommate as an early Christmas gift. More than 200 donors gave squirrels fun names like Henrietta Minerva Nutkin, Sir Donald Edward Fluffington, Sammy T. Squirrel, and Ms. Zippy Chatternut, receiving a digital certificate with their chosen name.

Alumni were also invited to make gifts in honor or in memory of the person who made their Mary Washington experience a special one. Beth Unklesbay ’74 paid homage to Karen Laino Giannuzzi ’71 – they’re both part of a small group of female retired military officers – whom she met almost five decades after leaving Mary Washington.

“From the beginning of our newfound friendship, Karen has been an enthusiastic advocate for our alma mater,” Beth said. “I credit her with bringing me back into the UMW fold.”

To learn more about the #GivingTuesday totals, please visit givingday.umw.edu/makeitpossible.

– Article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Why I Give: Barbara Upson Gravely Welch ’61

November 14, 2023 Leave a Comment

Six decades have passed since Barbara Upson Gravely Welch donned her graduation cap and gown, but she still remembers the bittersweet feelings she had about leaving Mary Washington.

Barbara Upson Gravely Welch '61 as a senior at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of The Battlefield Yearbook/UMW Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives. — Barbara Upson Gravely Welch ’61 as a senior at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of The Battlefield Yearbook/UMW Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives.

“I was almost sad to graduate,” said Barbara, who started out a shy history major but was eventually elected senior class president. “I enjoyed my college years immensely and realized what a difference Mary Washington made in my life. That’s what inspired my giving.”

Barbara has donated to the University of Mary Washington every year since she graduated, earning her a spot in UMW’s new Forever True Circle, which honors donors who have made a recurring or annual contribution for three or more years. Her gifts to the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington underscore her trust in the University and help guarantee that it can continue to address its most pressing needs.

“I benefited from all aspects of my Mary Washington education,” said Barbara, who grew up in Delaware and Central New Jersey. She hadn’t even heard of the small school in Fredericksburg until several friends mentioned it, but a visit to campus confirmed that it was the place for her.

She loved the history courses she took with Professors Carrol H. Quenzel and Laura Sumner, as well as the broad liberal arts and sciences curriculum she found at Mary Washington. “College really opens your mind to different perspectives, opinions, and ideas,” she said.

Barbara then became president of her senior class and gained a seat on Honor Council, serving as its vice president. “Those experiences made me into a confident young adult,” she said. “Faculty at my high school said that they needed to send more students to Mary Washington, because of how I had turned out.”

After graduation, she taught high school history until her children were born. She jumped into a new profession over a decade later, becoming an environmental paralegal in the legal department of chemical manufacturer DuPont, where her father had also worked.

Barbara Upson Gravely Welch '61 with her late husband, Charles Welch. — Barbara Upson Gravely Welch ’61 with her late husband, Charles Welch.

“I fell in love with the law,” said Barbara, who rose through the ranks for 25 years, until she retired in 2004. She spent the next decade earning her pilot’s license and learning how to fly her husband’s plane. “My education has allowed me to zigzag and try many different things.”

Over the years, she has kept in touch with Mary Washington, at first by interviewing scholarship applicants and participating in a regional alumni network, where she enjoyed connecting with older alumni from the 1930s and 1940s. Now, Barbara misses her dear friend, Connie Booth Logothetis ’61, who always shared her important milestones with their classmates in Class Notes.

And Barbara continues to invest in UMW and its students. “College is such a formative time and what you do with it makes a difference for the rest of your life,” she said. “Mary Washington helped me, and I want to honor that by giving back.”

Q: As a student, what was your favorite spot on the Mary Washington campus?
A: The Ann Carter Lee Hall kitchen/café.

Q: What might surprise your classmates to learn about you?
A: I’m taking voice lessons for the first time. After COVID, it seemed like we didn’t talk or sing as much. Now that I’m alone, I needed a new challenge and wanted to try something creative.

Q: What else do you do in your free time?
A: I no longer fly our plane, but I love to travel and just returned from Hawaii. I also exercise and volunteer at the Mary Campbell Center in Wilmington, Delaware. My second husband, Charles Welch, founded it in 1976 as a residence for disabled adults, in honor of his daughter, Charmie.

Q: What are the words you live by?
A: When I was nervous about taking on leadership roles in college, my father said, “Barbara, if you respect the people who asked you, you should have no doubt that they believe you can do it.” After that, I went through life accepting any challenge that came my way.

To learn more about the Forever True Circle or the Fund for Mary Washington, please contact Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14 at sorlando@umw.edu or 540-654-1361.

Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Giving to Mary Washington

Fund for Mary Washington

Other giving highlights of Mary Wash Day include: