In this issue:

 President’s Report

 Annual Food Drive Breaks New Record

 Membership News

 THON Update

 Triangle Chapter Scholarship Winner 2021 Announced

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of our Triangle-area alumni and Penn State friends!

As we all look forward to new beginnings in 2022, it is with great thanks that I am announcing that I will not seek re-election as the President of this awesome Chapter.  I’m not going anywhere, and will still remain committed to helping this great alumni group in the future.  It’s been an honor to lead our local alumni and Board volunteers to great heights these past six years, navigating many changes along the way, raising record amounts of donations for our Food Drive, Scholarship Fund, and THON.  Proudest among our many achievements is twice winning the Outstanding Service Project Award from the Penn State Alumni Association (2017 and 2020), the first time in our Chapter’s 40-year history that we have won a national award.

The Triangle Chapter’s Board is always looking for hard-working and dedicated volunteers to continue the tradition of leadership, so if you’ve ever thought of volunteering your time in service of our great alma mater, this may be a great opportunity!  If not President, please consider other roles within our leadership, as turnover is a part of all volunteer groups.  Currently, we’re without a Social Chairperson, a great role for young alumni looking to get involved (and maybe build their resume)!  If you’re interested in running for President, please let me know in the next month or two, as elections for Executive Board members (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) will be held this spring. Don’t worry, another call for volunteers will be sent before elections are held!

As for this past year, the Triangle Chapter was again named an Elm Level of Distinction Chapter, the highest level of achievement a Penn State alumni chapter or interest group can reach!  The Triangle Chapter is among a small handful of alumni chapters that has reached this lofty goal each year it has been available (the past eight years), and only about 30 alumni groups reach this level yearly.  Amongst many other benefits, our Chapter gets listed in The Penn Stater magazine’s November/December issue along with the other recognized chapters.  Elm Level is a recognition that our Chapter is very high functioning, maintaining a vibrant social media profile, fundraising for several organizations, offering an annual scholarship, etc.  We reach this every year because of YOU, our members, who donate their time as volunteers, who contribute to our philanthropies, who attend our social and career development events, and remain active as Penn State alumni!

We participated in “Giving Tuesday” this November, raising $530 for our scholarship program through the annual online giving program.  Thank you to all who donated!  Our total scholarship fundraising for this fiscal year is $5025, with money coming from a portion of every membership fee, our 50/50 halftime raffles, and extra donations from members, as well as live auctions of Penn State memorabilia donated by Dr. Ray Brayboy, a past Chapter member.  Read our article below to hear directly from this year’s Triangle Chapter Scholarship recipient!

We also raised 21,500 pounds of food for our Annual Food Drive this year, anther impressive total, especially when the need for food is still great.  Thank you again to all of you who generously donated food and money to this effort! Please read our article about the Food Drive, included below!

For the Glory,

Don Torino, President, Triangle Chapter

dontorino@alumni.psu.edu

 ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FOOD DRIVE YEAR BREAKS RECORDS 

Congratulations to the Triangle Chapter and its generous members as this year, we were able to raise, through cash and food donations, over 21,500 pounds of food, barely beating our previous high of 21,400 we raised last year!  In the eight years of our Food Drive, we have always surpassed the prior year’s high, continuing the upward trajectory year after year!

I know I’ve told our story before, but for those who haven’t heard it, it’s a remarkable tale of generosity and perseverance.  Our Annual Food Drive began in 2013, when we raised about 600 pounds of food for Urban Ministries of Wake County, as we competed against the University of Michigan alumni chapter here in the Triangle.  The following year, we doubled our donation to about 1200 pounds.  The following two years, we raised over 2000 pounds yearly, making us members of Urban Ministries' "One Ton Club" for the size of our donations.  In 2017, the Penn State Alumni Association awarded the Triangle Chapter the Outstanding Service Award based on these philanthropic efforts.  This was the first time in the thirty-five plus year history of the Triangle Chapter that we received national recognition from the Alumni Association.

Not to rest on our laurels, that year, our donations exploded as we raised 7,400 pounds that football season! Recognizing the power we had to make such a difference on our community, our Chapter members raised their game even further, donating 10,200 pounds of food during the 2018 football season, and the following year, we continued our streak of beating the prior year's record by donating 10,700 pounds of food!  In a rare move, the Penn State Alumni Association again awarded the Triangle Chapter with the 2020 Outstanding Service Project Award for our Food Drive, marking the second time in four years we were awarded this prize.  Needless to say, it’s very uncommon for the Alumni Association to give the same award twice to the same Chapter for the same service project, but, as I told the award committee, what we’re doing is very uncommon!

During the “COVID-19 years” though, our Chapter really shined!  In 2020, we raised enough money and food to donate the equivalent of 21,400 pounds of food, a remarkable doubling of our previous high.  This year, we showed no signs of letting up.  Again, through generous cash and food donations, the Triangle Chapter was able to raise 21,500 pounds of food for Urban Ministries of Wake County!

This is a remarkable record of success for our Chapter.  For any group, for that matter!  We couldn’t have done it without the terribly generous efforts of our members.  Thank you to all who contributed in any way!!

 MEMBERSHIP NEWS

We are over halfway through our 2021-2022 membership drive, and we would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for support of our Triangle Chapter.

We are very excited to announce that to date, our membership is up +20% vs last year but unfortunately still down -30% vs pre-covid years.   We had 36 brand new members this year!!  But, 48 members did not renew from last year – but on the positive side, this was the lowest number in the past 10 years of members that did not renew!!

We are still hoping to meet our pre-covid membership numbers before the end of our membership year – so please, if you have not  yet renewed, there is still time!!  Please check out our online membership renewal on the Membership page.

Despite those challenges and with your help, we’ve given thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving local students attending Penn State and provided valuable networking and social opportunities for Triangle area alumni and their families.

Thank you for all your support this year and always ,

Karen Rhodes, Triangle Chapter Membership Chairman

THON UPDATE

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! 

THON is just around the corner and we are thrilled to announce our silent auction and donor drive page! 

We have launched the silent auction, which will conclude on February 20^th, the last day of THON.  We have all kinds of valuable and unique Penn State memorabilia to bid on, including autographed football helmets and framed photographs.  Check out the auction here: AUCTION 

If auctions aren't your style, we have a way for you to donate directly to THON through our Alumni chapter. Visit this link to contribute to this incredible cause: CONTRIBUTE

We have set a modest goal this year as we are aware COVID has impacted and affected each of us in a variety of ways. Any contribution, big or small, is greatly appreciated in the fight to end pediatric cancer!

Check in on our social media sites for more updates!

For The Kids

Emily Passauer, Triangle Chapter Philanthropy Director

2021-22 TRIANGLE CHAPTER

SCHOLARSHIP WINNER NAMED

Each summer, the Triangle Chapter selects a local Triangle-area student to receive its annual scholarship. The Chapter raises funds in a variety of ways, including applying $5 of each membership fee to go towards this scholarship. This year, we awarded our highest amount ever - $5500 – to a Triangle-area student attending the University Park campus. Please read her communication to our Chapter below:

“Hello! My name is Lindsay Madden and I am a Junior at Penn State. I am majoring in Animal Science and minoring in Poultry and Avian sciences. I am the social chair for the club Swim Team and am a member of the Pre-Vet and Poultry Science club. I plan to attend North Carolina State University upon graduating to attend their prestigious veterinary school to pursue a career as a vet. Thank you so much for awarding me the Triangle Alumni Chapter scholarship!”

We congratulate Lindsay on her award and look forward to hearing of her further accomplishments!