University Advancement hosts 1842 Day, the annual day of giving for the community. This year, 1842 Day will happen on Tuesday, September 22. As the day of giving approaches, The Villanovan spoke with the Annual Giving Team to learn what will be new for this fall. 

The Villanovan: How will this 1842 Day be different than one’s before?

Annual Giving Team: 1842 Day has been primarily a digital event, but for the past three years, we also had a strong on-campus presence, with lots of activities for students, faculty and staff. This year, we knew that a large-scale campus event wouldn’t be possible, but we still wanted to make sure students had the opportunity to get involved. With some creative thinking, we have transformed our popular “Cat Cabs” trivia game into a fully virtual experience for this 1842 Day. The incredible students behind NovaQuizzo will also be hosting a special 1842 Day edition, hosted by Father Peter in-person at the Oreo and with the opportunity to participate virtually! We also will have a socially distanced tent to visit with snacks and interactive posters to help you celebrate 1842 Day. 

We will host the 1842 Day Livestream, starting at 12 p.m. EDT, featuring interviews with University leaders, faculty, staff, coaches, students and alumni. This year’s broadcast will be bigger and better than ever. 

TV: What is the goal of 1842 Day?

AGT: Our goal is to bring the ’Nova Nation together to support the people and programs that are making a difference at the University and beyond. It’s our time to show the world why we are proud to be Villanovans. Participation is the most important thing — whether you are a freshman riding in a Cat Cab to raise money for your favorite student organization, a senior making your 2021 Senior Class Gift or an alumnus/a supporting the Student Emergency Fund, you can add to our impact on 1842 Day. We are also fortunate to have more than a dozen donor challenges that make each gift go further.  

TV: How did 1842 Day come to be?

AGT: We launched the first 1842 Day in September 2017, as part of the 175th anniversary of Villanova’s founding in 1842. We wanted to celebrate and support all that makes Villanova great, and we worked with partners throughout the University to launch our first 1842 Day. We set a goal to reach 1,842 donors that year, and Villanovans went above and beyond — we ended the day with more than 4,700 donors.

TV: How can students, alumni, parents, and the community still get involved with 1842 Day this year?

AGT: We ask everyone to get involved by supporting the areas that are most important to them. Gifts of all sizes make a difference. We also encourage everyone to watch the 1842 Day Livestream on September 22 at 1842day.villanova.edu. The 1842 Day Picture Mosaic, which many students will remember from last year, will be completely digital this year on the 1842 Day website. As mentioned, we also have Cat Cabs and Nova Quizzo (including Villanova Law Quizzo).

TV: How does 1842 Day benefit the community?

AGT: 1842 Day has an incredible impact at Villanova. Over the past three years, more than $15.4 million has been donated through 1842 Day. There have been game-changing gifts, like last year’s $1.5 million challenge gift to LEVEL and the Office of Disability Services. There have also been tens of thousands of gifts that have made a difference for hundreds of areas of campus. Student groups and campus departments have been able to cover expenses and meet needs that wouldn’t have been possible without 1842 Day.