All in Day Calls for Giving Back to Trinity

Bella Chirkis ’27

Executive News Editor

On April 8, 2025, Trinity College will be holding its biggest giving day of the year, All In Day. This event has been held for more than 10 years and is a great opportunity for alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff to come together and give back to the College. All In Day has a big online presence throughout the day, but there is also a campus event to celebrate, which will take place on the patio outside of the library from 12 to 3 p.m. During the event, there will be a multitude of activities for students, such as chances to spin a prize wheel for helping to promote the event through social media or by making a gift, and there will be special themed drinks at Peter B’s. These drinks include a “Bantam Brew” which is a bold espresso drink with caramel and vanilla topped with blue and gold sprinkles as well as “The Long Walk Cooler” which is a blue raspberry lemonade with gold edible glitter. All In Day will also include a “love where you live” competition, where students can make a gift and vote for their favorite dorm on campus. The students who currently live in that winning dorm will get a treat. “Many alums can recall not only the name of their first-year dorm, but also their room number, and we wanted to capture that nostalgia in a fun way,” Liz Hanusovsky Patterson ’05, the Director of Annual Giving, stated in an interview about the event. The Senior Class Gift Committee will also be there for the seniors to make their class gift as well.   

All In Day at Trinity is a celebration of both philanthropy and community. This day is for all different groups across the College to come together and give back to the place that they know and love, including alumni, parents, faculty, students and staff. Making a gift of support is a way to pay it forward for the students at Trinity today and for students in the future. Every gift counts (including the Trinity College Fund, athletic teams, financial aid and more) and we are all working together toward the ultimate goal of supporting the student experience and the College. Madison Oatley ’26 gives her student perspective on giving back to the College. She says, “don’t brush off the idea of giving. We all need to try and make Trinity even better in the future. I am so excited to come back 10 years later and see how much it has changed for the better.”   

In a discussion about the goals for the annual event, Jennifer Loscialpo, assistant director of annual giving, said, “It’s important to make students at Trinity aware of what All In Day is and why it is so important.” In a post pandemic world, All In Day strives to have more of a campus presence in order to better engage with students, faculty and staff. Seeing students engaged in philanthropy can also help inspire Trinity alumni to be involved. Students are busy with classes, sports, internships and extracurriculars, so when they make time to give back, it’s a strong statement on what Trinity means to our students as a whole. When students start giving back to their community at a young age, it also begins to build a healthy habit. Trinity College tuition only covers two-thirds of the actual cost of a Trinity education. The rest is covered by gifts from generous donors and the endowment. Every student should understand  that they have the ability to make a difference at a place that is important to them. Patterson says, “it feels really good to be able to give back in some small way and make Trinity possible for someone else.”   

Madison Oatley ’26 describes the advantages and experiences that she has gained by working at the Advancement Office and helping to plan All In Day. Oatley says, “this job has made me so much more social and I am so much better at talking to people.” She emphasizes that students can also help spread the word about All In Day: “tell  your sports team, your Greek life, your classes, because the more people that know what’s going on, the more success the day will have”. Oatley says, “giving is so important, whether it’s $5 or $50. Trinity is home for four years of our lives and many people don’t realize how much the significant investment that goes into the little things that make a difference.” 

To prepare for All In Day on April 8, students can look for signs that are placed around different buildings on campus that explain how philanthropy made so many things on campus possible. Students are also able to visit the All in Day website for basic information and to make gifts. There will be tabling before April 8 to promote the event in Mather and the library during Common Hour. And with final words from Oatley, “we need everyone all in on All In Day.”