For Statesboro native and public relations professional Jenny Lynn Anderson, her lifelong association with Georgia Southern University brings a unique perspective to the 2011 “A Day for Southern” fundraising campaign. The drive’s chair — and first woman to preside over the 38th annual campaign — credits her varied university experiences as a student with fostering her commitment to Georgia Southern.
    “I appreciate the encouragement from all of my professors,” she said. “Because of them, I had a belief in myself that students from other universities didn’t have.”
    Through the years, she has returned her love of learning by mentoring other students and endowing scholarships with her husband Mark, a fellow alumnus.
    With the kickoff of today’s campaign, Anderson is challenging the community to support the rapid growth of Georgia Southern by contributing to A Day for Southern, when volunteers and the university’s leadership visit local businesses and individuals soliciting donations. The campaign is a joint effort between the Georgia Southern University Foundation and the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation. The first campaign raised more than $60,000, and last year more than $1.3 million was donated to support current and future academic and athletic needs.
    “A Day for Southern is truly a unique campaign in the fact that it was started by a small group of Bulloch County businessmen. In their wildest dreams I am sure they had no idea of the impact the campaign would have on thousands of Georgia Southern students. For this we are truly grateful to the Statesboro and Bulloch County community,” said Wendell Tompkins, interim vice president for University Advancement and director of Alumni Relations.
    Donations provide scholarships and cultural programs not covered by state funds, such as the Georgia Southern Museum, the Wildlife Center, the Botanical Garden, the Performing Arts Center, the symphony and other continuing education programs. The university is one of many institutions around the state who have faced budget cuts, and A Day for Southern helps offset the cuts.
     “The university continues to achieve significant growth because of the community’s generosity and loyalty,” said President Brooks Keel. “This is one of the main reasons for the campaign’s success, and in these difficult economic times, we appreciate Statesboro’s continued support of our educational mission.”
    According to director of Annual Giving Alex Grovenstein, the relationship between Georgia Southern and Bulloch County is a special one.
    “As a Bulloch County native, Georgia Southern alumnus and now employee, I've been able to experience it from all angles,” he said. “It's a level of support of which a lot of other universities can only dream.”
    During the past year, Georgia Southern’s research and economic development have impacted the community with the launch of new engineering degree programs, the groundbreaking of a $37 million Biological Sciences Building and an enrollment this fall that topped 20,000 students.
    In addition to community donors, this year’s supporters once again include faculty, staff and students who participated in A Day for Southern during the on-campus phase of the campaign. In previous years, many campus departments had 100-percent participation, demonstrating their commitment to the continued growth and mission of GSU.
    Anderson is communicating the message that supporting A Day for Southern is not a gift, but an investment in the future that benefits everyone in the community.
    “Georgia Southern is driving our economy, and the university provides so many cultural events and educational experiences for all age groups in our community,” she said. “All of us have to be players in the campaign — we are the caretakers of Georgia Southern, and it will have a wonderful future with our support.”