Who's The Reddest of Them All?

D.C.-area alumni paint the capitol city red during a regional alumni event.

D.C.-area alumni paint the Capitol City red during a regional alumni event.

Regional clubs vie for bragging rights during Young Alumni Challenge

By MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

And they're off!

The race is on, as regional alumni clubs across the nation vie for the crown during the Paint Your Town Red Young Alumni Challenge. The drive, which kicked off Jan. 21, pits regional young-alumni clubs against one another in a friendly competition to show which region boasts the most young-alumni pride.

The goal for each region is to reach a minimum Annual Fund participation rate of 28 percent among graduates of the last 10 years by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. All qualifying regional clubs will host an exclusive alumni event, complements of Dickinson.

At the halfway mark, Boston is in the lead with 20 percent of the region's young alumni having made a gift to Dickinson's Annual Fund, though D.C. is only a nose behind. The Steel City is showing its mettle at 17 percent with Baltimore hot on its heels, while The Big Apple and the Central Pennsylvania region are tied for fifth with 14 percent participation. San Francisco and Philly place next with 13 percent each, and Northern New Jersey and Los Angeles round out the pack with just 10 percent participation.

Which region will finish first in the race to paint the town red with Dickinson pride? Bostonian Nicole Tanguy ’09 says that Beantown Dickinsonians, the front-runners, are not about to slip the bit, lest their traditional rivals shake up mid-race and push to the lead. “We’re working on the next Boston regional event, and as soon as it’s final, we’ll be spreading the word,” she promised. “We have to beat D.C. and NYC.” 

Nick Smith '08, who lives and works in the D.C. region, begs to differ. "The Young Alumni of DC had a great start, and we see no turning back," he said.

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Results so far 

Published March 25, 2014