The University of Notre Dame family will come together on campus and around the globe on April 24-25 (Sunday-Monday) to celebrate the third annual Notre Dame Day.
The celebration will launch at 18:42 (6:42 p.m. EDT), referencing the University’s founding year, on April 24 and end at midnight on April 25. The 29-hour live broadcast from LaFortune Student Center will share inspiring and entertaining Notre Dame stories from around the world through interviews and celebrity guests. It also provides members of the Notre Dame family the opportunity to give back to areas of the University they love most through an online fundraising competition.
Celebrity anchors Anne Thompson, Mike Golic Sr. and Mike Golic Jr. will broadcast live from campus with students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who are living out the mission of Notre Dame to be powerful forces for good in the world. Highlights of the 169 interviews and segments include Golic Sr. taking on a member of the Notre Dame fencing team in full fencing gear, Notre Dame students facing off in a dinner-making competition from South Dining Hall and Fighting Irish basketball players Michaela and Marina Mabrey showing off their free-throw shooting prowess.
Every hour of Notre Dame Day brings something new: wheelchair basketball at Rolfs Sports Recreation Center, the Notre Dame Drumline, an inside look at new buildings on campus, robot football, synchronized skating and musical performances from campus a capella groups and choirs. Locally, South Bend-area radio partners will air live remotes from campus throughout the 29-hour broadcast.
During Notre Dame Day, anyone who makes a minimum $10 gift will receive five votes to cast for the more than 800 programs at Notre Dame that matter most to them. Votes will determine the percentage of the $1 Million Challenge Fund that will be distributed to each area. For more information, read the Notre Dame Day FAQ.
“The best part about Notre Dame Day is the opportunity for everyone to rally around and support what they love most at the University,” said Aaron Wall, program director for Notre Dame Day. “Every gift, $10 and above, makes a difference. We love to watch the leaderboard heat up throughout the 29-hour broadcast.”
In 2015, Notre Dame Day resulted in more gifts and donors than any other collegiate giving day. These gifts and votes empower areas of campus to pursue their individual projects and initiatives. Engineers Without Borders used its portion of the Challenge Fund from last year to begin building a potable water source for a school and surrounding village in Cameroon. The Notre Dame softball team used funds from Notre Dame Day to travel overseas to play a game and host a clinic for military families.
“Notre Dame continues to educate young women and men to be tomorrow’s leaders, and go out in the world and do extraordinary things,” said Wall. “This is our time to share these stories and celebrate our mission and impact as the greater Notre Dame family.”
For more information, visit NotreDameDay.nd.edu.
Contact: Andrea Bullock, director, Annual Giving and Strategic Marketing, abullock@nd.edu, Office: 574-631-1056, Mobile: 646-436-5763