St. Thomas Aquinas College Students Join the Global #GivingTuesday Movement

St. Thomas Aquinas College Students will join the #GivingTuesday movement —a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide—on Tuesday, November 29th to raise awareness and donations for Nyack’s Penguin Plunge Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports three Rockland County children with serious medical conditions each year. The day of giving begins with the “#GivingTuesday Penguin Olympics” at St. Thomas Aquinas College from 1:30-4:00 and concludes with the “#GivingTuesday Penguin Party” from 5:30-8:30 at Lexington Grill and Pub in Bardonia, NY. #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

STAC Communication Arts students hope to capture the giving spirit of the season and raise money for: Gabriella Carney, 2, from Tappan, NY, living with a rare genetic liver disease; Noah Diaz, 5, from Congers, NY, born with a severe heart condition, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome; and Molly McGovern, 18, from Blauvelt, NY, diagnosed early this year with benign Meningioma. Barbara Noyes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Nyack Penguin Plunge states, “I am thrilled to partner with STAC students and join the #GivingTuesday movement in an effort to raise awareness and funds for our local families during the Thanksgiving season. My hope is this event will inspire other community members to embrace the spirit of giving.”

The “#GivingTuesday Penguin Olympics” will feature challenges, activities and raffles in the Romano Student Center on the STAC campus in Sparkill NY from 1:30-4:30 pm. Students plan to “dip their flippers” in icy cold water to support this year’s recipients of the Nyack Penguin Plunge, and inspire the community to participate in the organization’s signature event—a plunge into the icy Hudson at Nyack Memorial Park on March 5, 2017. “My students are participating in an inspiring service learning project, while honing their event planning, public relations, and social media content development skills,” states Communications Professor Elaine Winship. The students have been working with the Nyack Penguin Plunge since September in an effort to learn and apply public relations and event planning skills, bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world. “I have enjoyed working with the Penguin Plunge because it is such a worthy cause. Plus, now I have real world PR experience to add to my resume!” states Communication Arts Senior, Hailey Roberston.

Afterwards, the students head to The Lexington Grill and Pub in Bardonia NY for the “The #GivingTuesday Penguin Party.” From 5:30-8:30, co-owner Brian McKiernan will offer his bar, free food, and proceeds from drink specials to the Nyack Penguin Plunge. “The Penguin Plunge helps local community children,” McKiernan says. “As a business owner, it is my honor to give back to their families in any way I can.”

About Penguin Plunge Inc.

Penguin Plunge Inc. is a nonprofit organization that helps the families of three seriously ill local children each year in meeting their medical and support costs as they focus on their children's health. The organization was started in 2008 by Barbra Noyes and Mike Lynch, and has raised over $300,000 for their sponsored children over the course of the past ten years. The Penguin Plunge is their main annual event that gives people the opportunity to take a memorable dip into the icy waters of the Hudson while raising money for a good cause; however, the organization also holds a variety of events in area restaurants, businesses, and schools, to bolster fundraising efforts. To learn more about Penguin Plunge Inc., visit their website at www.penguinplungeny.com

About St. Thomas Aquinas College

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY, which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give—the 2016 iteration will be held on November 29, 2016. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners—nonprofits, businesses and corporations as well as families and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday harnesses the power of social media to create a global moment dedicated to giving around the world.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: www.givingtuesday.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday

Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTues