Free access with advanced registration was available to all, and the Fairfield community responded boldly with more than 500 supporters joining the Virtual Fairfield Awards livestream event on Dec. 21; hundreds more tuned in later to watch the recording.

“Alumni, parents, and friends continue to show their strong belief in the importance of scholarships by generously giving to this critical cause,” said Wally Halas, vice president for University Advancement. “We are most grateful for their confidence and their help in expanding access to a Fairfield education for talented and deserving students.”

Since the inception of the Fairfield Awards Dinner in 1988, donors have contributed more than $20 million to a variety of scholarships, with the majority of gifts supporting the University’s largest endowed fund, the Alumni Multicultural Scholarship.

The Virtual Fairfield Awards paid tribute to five exceptional leaders for their commitment to Fairfield University: Paul Lakeland, PhD, Claire and Woody Knopf, P’16, Bart Franey ’67, and Clint Lewis ’88.

The celebration also featured remarks from University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, event co-chairs Patti Glassford ’85 and Adrienne Johnson ’91, and a speech from recent alumnus and past scholarship recipient, Xavier Cole ’20. Whether or not you were able to “attend” the livestream event, the University invites all to view the recording and the accompanying journal by visiting the Virtual Fairfield Awards event page.

For additional information about the Fairfield Awards Dinner, please contact adematteo@fairfield.edu or call (203) 254-4000 x2115.