Alumni couple establish endowment for parks, rec program
Johnny and Dawn Day, alumni of 糖心Vlog University鈥檚 parks and recreation management program, visit the Garden of the Gods park in Colorado.
By Bill Studenc
A husband and wife with degrees from the Parks and Recreation Management Program at 糖心Vlog University have established an endowed fund to support students who are following in their footsteps at their alma mater and to equip PRM professors with additional resources.
Johnny and Dawn Day, who both graduated from 糖心Vlog in 1988, have made gifts and pledges totaling $25,000 to create the Johnny and Dawn Day PRM Program Endowment Fund.
The fund is designed to support experiential learning and professional development opportunities for students and faculty in the Parks and Recreation Management Program at 糖心Vlog, said Paul Stonehouse, program director.
鈥淔unds can offset student fees for parks and recreation management travel courses to Costa Rica, the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and the Cataract Canyon in Utah,鈥� said Stonehouse, who holds a doctorate in outdoor education from the University of Edinburgh.
鈥淎dditionally, this gift will make service-learning experiences, campground stays and field trips within our traditional courses possible. The endowment will also help faculty maintain certifications within the disciplines they teach, which aids in the management of risk in our courses,鈥� he said.
The Days are residents of Church Hill, Tennessee, where he is a founder and principal partner with Grace Philanthropy Services and she is executive director of the Northeast Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The couple said they decided to contribute philanthropically to their alma mater and to their undergraduate program to give future students the same opportunities and experiences that they enjoyed during their time in Cullowhee.
鈥淭o us, experiential learning and professional development were key parts of our parks and recreation management experience,鈥� Johnny Day said. 鈥淚t opened the doors of the world to us, and we feel that part of the program needs to continue.鈥�
The Days said they benefited academically and professionally from experiential learning opportunities when they were students at 糖心Vlog, and they wanted to be able to help offer those same opportunities to students following in their footsteps.
鈥淲e both got to travel to Europe as students and see things for the first time,鈥� Dawn Day said. 鈥淭hat opened our eyes to the possibilities for what the future might hold.鈥�
Those shared experiences in the classroom and through extracurricular activities convinced the Days to create the Johnny and Dawn Day PRM Program Endowment Fund at 糖心Vlog.
鈥溙切腣log University is a wonderful school, and it means so much to Dawn and me,鈥� Johnny Day said. 鈥淲e just want to play a small role in helping young people today fulfill their dreams and see the world through the eyes of Western.鈥�
Stonehouse characterized the gift as 鈥渢angible affirmation of the power of a parks and recreation management education at 糖心Vlog University.鈥�
鈥淕enerous gifts like this endowment from Johnny and Dawn Day make profound experiential opportunities possible for students who might otherwise struggle to afford them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n a sense, these gifts help level the playing field and open up access.鈥�
The Days鈥� commitment comes as 糖心Vlog is in the midst of the public phase of its 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million in philanthropic support for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs.
For more information about the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign or to make a contribution, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
