SU Celebrates 136 Years with National Orange Day
3/23/2006 2:44:15 PM | Football
Friday, March 24, is National Orange Day! All all students, alumni, faculty, and staff are encouraged to show their orange pride and wear their best orange threads. Could be a flashy tie, a sweater, or a vintage tee-shirt.
So, what is National Orange Day? It is a tradition to commemorate the founding of Syracuse University, March 24, 1870. This year is SU's 136th birthday!
On campus, the festivities begin at 12:30pm when the Crouse Chimes will ring out our alma mater and the fight song. The University will gather at the Schine Student atrium for a birthday party! Chancellor Cantor will carve the first slice of SUs birthday cake, one of the six sheet cakes that were generously donated by the SU Bake Shop. The celebration in Schine will also include a visit by Otto the Orange. Z89 will be playing music and hosting give-aways as well.
This year's National Orange Day will be highlighted by two special events. March 24th will mark the culmination of Orange Around the World, a new University wide initiative sponsoring Syracuse themed care packages prepared by faculty, staff & students to be sent to our Alums serving in the military world-wide. The care packages will be presented at this years ceremony in the Schine. Also, a member of the Syracuse University Alumni Association Board of Directors will present the Jesse Peck Diaries, a collection of entries detailing the original ideas to found Syracuse University, to the Department of Syracuse University Archives & Records Management. Bishop Jesse Truesdell Peck was a Methodist bishop, former chairman of our Board of Trustees and the person who made the first substantial financial donation to establish Syracuse University in 1870.
The Tennity Ice Rink will join the fun and offer free skate rentals to all wearing orange. The SU Bookstore will offer 25% off to anyone wearing a sticky orange. The Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center will feature delicious orange cuisine on the day's menu and Rachel's Restaurant at the Sheraton will also have a National Orange Day lunch promotion.
Later that evening, we will light up the Syracuse skyline. The Carrier Dome and the Niagara Mohawk Building will glow with luminous orange lights.
We are excited about the momentum and enthusiasm of our two special National Orange Day events this year, and ask for your support in getting the word out about them. In that regard, we hope to work with you in developing special stories marking these momentous events. Please dont hesitate to contact us for personal insights into Orange Around the World and the Jesse Peck Diaries presentation.
SU Alumni Clubs in record numbers are participating in community service events all around the country. SU club members will proudly wear orange as they work in the following activities:
- The Northern New Jersey Club will be working with Hats for Hope 4 Kids to collect hats and raise money to provide hats for children with pediatric illnesses.
- The Alumni Club of the Capital District will be preparing and serving meals for the homeless at the Overflow Shelter in Albany, NY. They are also volunteering at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY.
- The Central New York Club will donate a $500 check to the Edward Smith Elementary School in Syracuse to be used for the school's field trip to Washington D.C.
- The Alumni Club of North Western Pennsylvania will provide activities in support of the Kids Caf of the Emmaus Ministries of Erie as well as an additional community outreach activity.
- The Alumni Club of the District of Columbia is sponsoring a club summer scholarship, as well as participating in a community service project.
- The Alumni Club of Rochester is sponsoring a wine tasting/judging/auction benefiting Camp Good Days & Special Times.
- The Alumni Club of Indianapolis will be building mini-barns in conjunction with the Habitat for Humanity.
- The Alumni Club of Arizona will be serving meals to the homeless at St Vincent De Paul in Phoenix.
- The Alumni Club of Seattle will be hosting a basketball watching party where they will be collecting non-perishables.
Contact information for alumni clubs is located on our website at
Join in on the contagious orange spirit on Friday, March 24! Wear ORANGE proudly!
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