GPS Giving Day Breaks Records for Second Consecutive Year

Each year, the GPS community celebrates Founders Day in mid-September to honor the legacy of the school’s three fearless Founders—Tommie Payne Duffy, Eula Lea Jarnagin, and Grace McCallie. Not so coincidentally, GPS Giving Day falls on the same day as a reminder of the life-changing impact an investment in girls’ education can have.

This year, the GPS Development Office expanded their Giving Day/Founders Day efforts and launched Founders Week, filled with events for all supporters of the school. On Tuesday, September 10, GPS alumna Katherine Roberts Burger ’86 hosted a percentage day at her store K::a Boutique by Katherine Roberts, donating 10% of the day’s sales to the GPS Impact Fund.

On Wednesday, September 11, fathers and daughters were invited to attend the Chattanooga Lookouts game at AT&T Field, and moms could visit campus for a fun, casual game of Bruiser Bunco.

Thursday, September 12, was the official Founders Day and Giving Day, which included a phone-a-thon, a Chattanooga-area alumnae gathering at State of Confusion, and a parent participation challenge by grade. The classes with the greatest number of parent gifts or pledges throughout the week in both the middle and high schools would earn a special treat. (Last week, members of the sixth- and twelfth-grade classes celebrated their wins with a midday Clumpies Ice Cream pick-me-up!)

That day on campus, GPS students enjoyed a special Founders Day cake at lunchtime, and the afternoon featured a friendship bracelet-tying activity across all grades, a nod to this year’s theme Treasured Ties.

Throughout the week, the GPS Development Office had a bold goal of 500 donors, since last year’s Giving Day broke the record for most gifts to GPS in a single day when 459 donors gave $406,089 to the Impact Fund. 

At the conclusion of this year’s Founders Week, final numbers came in—$408,369 from 601 donors!

Each year, Giving Day raises money for the annual Impact Fund and helps close the gap between tuition and the actual cost to attend GPS. The Impact Fund supports the critical day-to-day operations of the school and makes a difference in the lives of every GPS girl. If you've yet to make your annual pledge or gift to the Impact Fund, you can do so online today at GPS.edu/Give.

Thank you to everyone who made Giving Day and Founders Week a success!