The Office of Institutional Advancement is recruiting PC students and regional alumni to take part in phonathons to raise money for the College’s Annual Fund.

For Liz Crowley ’08, from Andover, Mass., taking part in PC’s student phonathon program is becoming a family tradition. Her brother, J. Richard Crowley III ’05, manned the phones for three of his four years at PC.

Now in her second year, she works at least three of the four nights the phonathon operates weekly, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Students are paid a small hourly sum for their time.

"People are very positive," Crowley said of the people she calls. "Many of them just love the school and want to chat to see how you’re doing and see how the campus is coming along. It’s really neat to talk to people who love the school as much as I do."

In the student phonathon program, which is overseen by Ernie Adamo, the callers contact alumni, parents, and friends of the College to assist in fundraising for the Annual Fund. Gifts to the fund are unrestricted and provide critical operating dollars that directly benefit students, faculty, and programs at PC.

"By talking to current students," Crowley said, "I think people see firsthand how grateful we are for the education we are receiving and the opportunities that are being provided to us."

The two other types of phonathons for which alumni volunteers are needed are the class and regional phonathons. Both are run by Theodore J. "Ted" DeNicola ’74, director of alumni development/regional programs in the institutional advancement office.

DeNicola has directed class phonathons for 25 years. These callers perform the same work as Crowley but are alumni from specific graduation years. This fall’s class phonathon, undertaken over a three-week period by 175 alumni from Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, broke all records, DeNicola said. There were 1,536 pledges totaling $205,600.

Regional phonathons, meanwhile, will take place soon in Washington, D.C., northern New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, Hartford, Boston, and Providence.

"We’re hoping that over 200 alumni and parent volunteers will participate in the regional phonathons and give their time and talent to make a PC education affordable to deserving students," said DeNicola. "From soliciting pledges to updating addresses and telephone numbers, to leaving messages about the Annual Fund on answering machines, their hard work and enthusiasm play a major role in achieving a successful regional program."

To volunteer or to learn more about phonathon opportunities, contact DeNicola at (401) 865-2293 or at tdenicol@providence.edu.