As Gustavus Adolphus College prepares to welcome students back to campus, College leadership has been working to ensure the health and safety of the whole community. One step is provide essential safety gear to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. Every Gustie student, whether first-year and returning, will receive a COVID Safety Care Package, which includes a supply of face masks and hand sanitizer.
To make these safety care packages available to every Gustie, the College has turned to the broader Gustavus community for support. The response has been inspiring. The College received an anonymous $45,000 gift that lowered the cost for each kit to $30. Gustavus then sent an email appeal to alumni and friends, asking for help in meeting these remaining costs.
“The response was overwhelming and immediate,” said Katie Schroeder ’03, director of the Gustavus Fund. Within 48 hours of the first email, enough support had been raised to purchase more than half of the needed safety care packages. “Gusties have been asking how they can be helpful,” Schroeder added. “This initiative has been a great way for the Gustavus community to give back.”
Schroeder noted the positive response to the appeal on Gustavus social media outlets. One member of the Class of 1998 mentioned the generosity of the community when she was a student and campus had been devastated by the tornado. “It’s our turn to give back,” she wrote.
As of Monday, July 20, Gustavus alumni and friends have purchased more than 1,900 of the needed 2,300 safety care packages. In addition to donating a care package, people can also donate a Gustavus face mask by purchasing their own mask. Available for only $10, every Gustavus mask sold provides an additional one to a member of the campus community. So far, over 1,800 masks have been purchased and nearly 1,000 people have donated.
“It’s going to be fun to see all those Gustavus masks around,” said Schroeder.
You can donate a COVID Safety Care Package or purchase a Gustavus mask online.