A new era of student-based charitable giving at Stetson University has begun with an invasion by Phil the Pig – as in “Philanthropy” or “fill” the pig!

Hundreds of Phil the Pig piggy banks have been distributed this fall by Stetson and its Student Philanthropy Council to students, faculty, staff, and the Alumni Board. And Phil has been making the rounds to all sorts of places around campus – Holler Fountain, the duPont-Ball Library, residence hall pizza parties.

The first Phil the Pig collection day, held earlier this month, was a great success, said Stetson Development Officer Tori Joel, adviser to the Student Philanthropy Council. Students and employees were encouraged to save their spare change to donate to the university’s Annual Fund for student scholarships. The first collection day brought in $1,415 from 125 students and 90 employees – with individual gifts ranging from 5 cents to $68.11.

“This initiative is designed as a fun way to introduce a culture of philanthropy to students and emphasize its importance as a lifelong habit,” Joel said. “We invite them to become part of the process and to invest in themselves and future students at Stetson, because the money all goes to student scholarships. We want charitable giving to be as much a part of the students’ values as community service and civic engagement already are.”

Expect Phil the Pig to have a larger presence on campus in the future. The next Phil the Pig collection day will be held in the spring semester.