FAIRMONT, W.Va. The 24-hour Fairmont State University Falcon Day of Giving is a community effort to recognize the contribution of the institution and support its’ efforts. The event has a goal of $375,000, and President Dr. Michael Davis will kick the event off at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, February 29, personally online.

All of the activities from all of the units will be streamed online throughout the event.

“Every unit on campus is participating, so people can give to the thing they care about the most,” Davis said. “I’ll kick it off with a live stream on all of our social media channels.”

In addition to being able to make donations to impact areas of the institution they favor most, there are a series of giving challenges available for donors.

“It’s a way for people to connect back to the university and feel like they’re part of it,” Davis said. “We’re a public university, and we want them to feel like they’re a part of us because they are, and they have a stake just as much as I do in whether we succeed or not.”

Davis said he has several costume changes planned for Thursday that will include “opportunities” to watch Davis get a pie in the face or get bounced off the basketball court, all in the name of Falcon Spirit.

“I’ll be in the dunk tank at 1 p.m.; if the College of Business Aviation raises enough money, I’ll get a pie in the face; I’ll play basketball in the evening; there’s a lot going on,” Davis said.

While the themes of the day and the event are lighthearted, the effort will help the institution continue to meet the educational needs of students, families, and businesses in the north-central West Virginia area.

“We have to make sure we’re connecting every future effort to what made us historically great,” Davis said. “And what made us historically great were the people that work for us and the desire to find innovative and engaging programs for our students.”

The events associated with Falcon Day of Giving are all open to the public, and Davis encourages people to attend.

“We’ve forgotten how to connect with each other, and I get up every single morning trying to create intentional opportunities for people to connect with each other,” Davis said.