Rocky Mount, N.C.—People in the Rocky Mount area stepped up to support North Carolina Wesleyan College in a record-setting way on Tuesday, September 15. The College’s 28th annual Day for Wesleyan fundraiser generated a new high of $572,413 in gifts and pledges from the community. 

The Day for Wesleyan total was revealed on a banner that was unrolled during a celebration on campus for community volunteers at the home of Wesleyan President James A. Gray III and Mrs. Beth Gray.

“The support that Wesleyan consistently receives from the Rocky Mount community for this annual fundraiser is amazing,” said Malcolm Woodall, Wesleyan’s vice president of development. “Even during these times that many consider economically challenging, the people of this area still give generously to Wesleyan, and the College is very grateful to the community for their support.”

Gifts to Day for Wesleyan help fund ongoing needs of the College, such as scholarships for deserving students who otherwise could not attend Wesleyan, academic and athletic programs, new technology, teaching materials, and more.

Each year the annual event attracts many local volunteers who contact more than 500 area businesses and individuals to ask for gifts and pledges of support for the College. The event begins with a kick-off breakfast for the volunteer fundraisers at Wesleyan’s Dunn Center for the Performing Arts.

Rocky Mount Mayor David Combs proclaimed September 15 as official Day for Wesleyan throughout the city.

This year, former Rocky Mount Mayor Fred Turnage and his wife, Norma Turnage, served as community chairpersons of Day for Wesleyan. On the campus, Patricia Holloman of the accounting office headed the staff campaign, while Dr. Molly Weise, assistant professor of sociology, led the faculty fundraising effort.

Day for Wesleyan continues the tradition of community support that originally helped establish the College. Wesleyan was chartered in 1956 with financial assistance from the United Methodist Church and a great effort by many people of the Rocky Mount area who recognized a need for a four-year, liberal arts college in the region.

As the result of an outpouring of community support, North Carolina Wesleyan College opened its doors to the first class of students in the fall of 1960.

Wesleyan’s financial effect on the community continues to increase as the College grows. The economic impact of Wesleyan on Eastern North Carolina is estimated to be at least $47.5 million in annual expenditures.

Most of Wesleyan’s nearly 800 students on the main campus come from North Carolina, with many from the Rocky Mount area. Over the past few years, the College has added an international flavor to the campus. More than 70 international students are enrolled this fall from more than a dozen countries that include Russia, Sweden, France, Germany, and many others.

Wesleyan also enrolls several hundred students in its Adult Degree Program, which offers classes on the Rocky Mount campus and in Goldsboro and the Triangle. The Adult Degree Program makes it possible for adults with responsibilities of work and family to begin or complete a bachelor’s degree through evening, weekend, and accelerated courses.

Last year’s Day for Wesleyan raised $564,510.