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n May 3-4, at Alumni Reunion, we saw another example of how fund-raising and friend-raising are two sides of a single effort to advance the position of the College. For our alumni, this weekend is a time to affirm what it means to be Pitzer graduates, renew friendships, reconnect with faculty and celebrate milestones. But it's also a chance for them to see firsthand the impact of their donations to the College, and to be included in a recognition ceremony where alumni present our president with a check that symbolizes their collective annual gifts. This year the four-foot oversized cardboard "check" representing reunion gifts totaled $80,481.98. With just under two months to go before the end of the fiscal year, we're 16% ahead of where we were this time last year.
Without a doubt, the most poignant moment of the Reunion was the dedication of a memorial garden honoring not only alumni but also faculty, staff, and friends. We conceived the idea for a garden after the recent loss of one famous alumnus--David Bloom. A group of alumni close to David helped spearhead a fundraising effort, and Arboretum staff worked long, hard hours to ready it for dedication during the weekend. The David Bloom Garden of Remembrance will now provide a focus for friends of the College who want to pay a tribute to those they have lost. While the physical space will anchor their memories, memorial plaques will recall their names to posterity, and everyone who passes by its entrance at Mills Avenue and 12th Street will be able to enjoy the beauty of a place intended for reflection and renewal.
We also established a memorial scholarship in the name of David
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