More than 250 alumni, parents and friends gathered at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan March 9 for the New York launch of Ever Elon: The Campaign for the Future of Our University.
President Leo M. Lambert hosted the event and said he knows the campaign will reach its goal because of the strong dedication and support Elon enjoys among its extended community. Earlier in the day, Lambert, along with Dean Mary Gowan of the Love School of Business and five students, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. He noted that Elon was having a strong impact on the nation’s largest city, with national television coverage of the opening bell ceremony and a large crowd at The Plaza.
“What a day in New York,” Lambert exclaimed. “It’s just spectacular.”
Lambert told the crowd about the progress of the campaign, which has raised more than $61.4 million to date, with the majority of funds targeted toward building Elon’s endowment.
“This campaign is a way for us as a community to uphold our most cherished values and ensure that we are going to be excellent stewards of Elon for future generations,” Lambert said.
Following the New York debut of the Ever Elon campaign video, Lambert recognized three alumni who stood and told the audience about how their lives had been changed through the experiences they had at Elon. Following those testimonials, three outstanding performing arts alumni, Rob Marnell ‘06, Lindsay Northen ‘03 and Connie Renda ’03, performed vocal selections. They are building successful acting and music careers in New York and talked about their recent work on Broadway and other professional venues.
The Ever Elon New York event was made possible by generous gifts by Elon parents Charles and Diana Revson, Frode and Kitty Jensen, Arne and Bonnie Arnesen, Kevin and Claudia Kelly, and Ed and Joan Doherty.
