Celebrating philanthropy during Day of Gratitude

The Partners in Excellence luncheon during Radford University's annual Day of Gratitude is always a special occasion, but this year's event offered an extra reason to celebrate.

On November 15, the 2024 Founders Award was proudly presented to Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting transfusion and healthcare initiatives throughout Virginia. CTF provides scholarship grants to the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program at Radford. They have also supported supplies and equipment purchases that benefit the program, with their contributions to Radford totaling more than $530,000.

The Founders Award was originally created by Radford's fifth president, Douglas Covington, with the understanding that in order to understand the present and the future, we must celebrate our history. The recipient of this award must exemplify the values of Radford, demonstrate the characteristics of its founders, and inspire others to see how education can be transformative and open the door to opportunity.

"The 2024 Founders Award recipient has demonstrated their commitment to making education accessible through a dedicated partnership - one that has benefitted countless bright and deserving students," said Penny White, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations. "I can think of no better entity to recognize today … than Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation."

CTF President and CEO, Bob Carden, Ph.D., accepted the award.

"I know that the grants we are providing to Radford University for the Medical Laboratory Science program are indeed helping to solve a major healthcare problem, and that is a shortage of medical laboratory scientists. About 80% of healthcare depends upon laboratory tests," said Carden. "By partnering with Radford University, we are helping to address that need by turning out qualified medical laboratory scientists."

Brooklyn Vaughn, a senior in the MLS program, shared her gratitude for scholarship support during the Partners in Excellence luncheon.

"I am so grateful for Radford, for the scholarship and for Dr. Carden. Having people who care and support you … it makes it easy to come to Radford, it makes it easy to stay at Radford and give back to Radford. Receiving this scholarship has lightened the financial burden on all of us. It encourages me to do my absolute best, in and outside of the classroom."

Partners in Excellence provides the opportunity for benefactors of Radford's donor-funded scholarships, like CTF, to meet their scholarship recipients, like Vaughn. Scholarships empower students to excel as they develop knowledge and skills that will prepare them for successful lives and careers.

Donor-funded scholarships supported nearly 1,200 students this fiscal year, and nearly $3.2 million in scholarships will be awarded during the upcoming academic year. This would not be possible without the generosity of Radford donors.

November 15 was the perfect opportunity to hold the annual Day of Gratitude at Radford, as it was also National Philanthropy Day. This day celebrates the charitable work people do to make a difference and create impact in their communities. Radford's donors make a difference every day. By supporting students on their journeys of academic and personal discovery, they pave the way for the leaders of tomorrow.

Radford President Bret Danilowicz, Ph.D., echoed the impact of Radford's generous scholarship benefactors.

"You're helping these students make memories and connections that will last a lifetime, and most importantly, you are making their pathway to a life-changing degree much more affordable. Those who earn a bachelor's degree earn nearly twice as much in a lifetime as individuals with a high school diploma, are more likely to lead healthier lives, and are more likely be active participants in their communities," said Danilowicz. "Plus, the students in this room who receive foundation support are more likely to pay it forward and give their time and future dollars to help Radford University students. That's the lifetime connection that we are here to build today."

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