Through various campaigns and events, Valentine’s Day marked a special day for campus groups, as several organizations planned fundraising campaigns, selling a range of items from roses to condoms, while others used the day to advocate on behalf of their club.
Candy grams remain a popular tradition, as this year the Georgetown College Democrats sold them as a fundraiser. Students may send the candy grams to a person of their choosing, along with a personalized note.
“We usually just raise money through Semi-Formal, but this semester we have a new department and it is the first of many new fundraisers to come,” GUCD Board Member Sara Margolis (COL ’16) said.
For unofficial clubs, Valentine’s Day marks a great opportunity to receive donations since they do not receive funding from Georgetown. H*yas for Choice, for example, put its own creative twist on the gram tradition by attaching one condom to each.
“It’s important for us to come up with creative and fun ways to generate revenue. … The [grams] have fun things like ‘no glove, no love,’” H*yas for Choice Vice President Abby Grace (SFS ’16) said.
The Campus Life Working Group additionally organized a semi-formal event, HeartBEATS, sponsored by The Corp, WGTB and the Senior Class Committee. Friday’s 9 p.m. event in Copley Formal Lounge will feature five different musical groups from the Georgetown community. Groups will include The Ripples, a student jazz combo, the GU Chamber Quartet, the ladies of Georgetown’s Resonant Essence Live and Atomic Man.
“We wanted to create an event where the diversity of music could be highlighted in one show,” student organizer Brian Moran (COL ’14) said. “This is not a couples’ thing and is not supposed to be exclusive of anyone. … This is a great opportunity to showcase music on campus.”
Some organizations use the holiday to promote their mission and recruit more students to join. Georgetown’s Sexual Assault Peer Educators is hosting SAPE-A-CERTS, where members will hand out free Sprinkles cupcakes and explore healthy sexuality.
GlobeMed planned a Valentine’s Day fundraiser central to their mission, with members selling roses and donating all the profits to Primeros Pasos, a health clinic for women and children in Guatemala. At time of writing, the club was unsure whether the sale would proceed because of the inclement weather.
“GlobeMed might have to cancel the sale because the flowers couldn’t be delivered Thursday,”GlobeMed Co-President Aishling Thurow (NHS ’15) said. “It’s unfortunate because we were slated to raise $500 for Primeros Pasos.”
The Georgetown 1634 Society will also continue their One for Georgetown Campaign throughout Valentine’s Day with a cupcake and rose giveaway. The campaign hopes to encourage philanthropy among young students through fun events centered on professionalism, networking and alumni relations. The ultimate goal of the Valentine’s Day event is to be a presence on campus and encourage students to show their gratitude to both the university and its alumni.
“It’s a symbolic gesture. We want to say that we are grateful,” member Sara Carioscia (COL ’17) said.
