Dear Cavalier Daily alumni and friends,
We hope you are safe and healthy this holiday season.
It was a pleasure to meet many of you last month at our reunion weekend, where we were able to convene in-person for the first time in nearly two years. Many thanks to Steve Wells for all of his efforts, including organizing a wonderful lunch at The Local; Dusty Melton, for sharing his recollections of the CD’s coverage of Frank Hereford/Farmington controversy; Jim Wood and Tim Dodson for organizing our tailgate; and Jenn Brice and the CD staff for welcoming us back to Grounds.
As we finish the year and head into 2022, I wanted to share a couple of major goals that the CDAA has set.
First, we are working toward securing $100,000 in donations for our new endowment fund, at which point the fund can begin making distributions to the CD. The endowment will be used to support the paper’s long-term goals and overall stability. If you would like to make a one-time or recurring gift to our endowment fund, you can do so via our online donation form.
Due to the extension of the CARES Act, there are some provisions that could provide additional benefits to individuals giving to the CD endowment before the end of 2021. As always, you should check with your tax advisor to confirm how the CARES Act impacts your individual tax situation. If you would like to learn more about tax-efficient ways of giving to the CD endowment, including gifts that provide income and estate giving, please feel free to reach out to Erin Hughey-Commers (434-760-3281) or Miriam Bradley.
Second, we want to provide new opportunities for students to meet our alumni and learn from them. We are particularly interested in matching up current students and alumni with similar interests, experiences, and goals. We are hoping to recruit alumni from a wide range of professions who would be willing to be paired with a student later this winter for a phone call or Zoom session. Our hope is that these initial conversations may develop into mentorship opportunities.
If you are interested in participating, please fill out this short form (and if you filled it out earlier this fall, keep an eye out for an update on the mentorship matches in early January).
Finally, I invite you to consider making a gift to the CDAA this holiday season to support the paper’s immediate needs. The staff has done an incredible job covering the return to Grounds for in-person learning this semester and we look forward to continuing to support their work. Your donation helps the CD continue to meet its operating expenses, while also supporting the staff’s journalism projects, staff training, and professional development opportunities.
As always, feel free to reach out to me at alexisgravely15@gmail.com with any thoughts or questions.
Sincerely,
Alexis Gravely
President, Cavalier Daily Alumni Association