Purple & Gold Day has been the day our alumni and friends have traditionally come together to celebrate our Leatherneck pride, our Western ties and our great history in support of all that is Western Illinois University. We invite you to join us this year as we shift it to be a day of CARING, in support of our students, of each other and of our communities!

We’ll be hosting 12 hours of interactive virtual gatherings, hangouts, zoom meetings/interviews, tours, question and answer sessions, videos and much more—giving us the opportunity to all be together. On the days leading up to April 24 and throughout the actual day, we’ll ask our alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff to share videos with their thoughts and words of encouragement to others during this crisis.

We will be shifting this year’s Western Challenge held on April 24 in support of the Purple and Gold Day of Caring with the opportunity for our viewers, participants and others to make contributions to the newly established WIU Student Emergency Fund. Click here to watch the video regarding the fund.

So many of you have expressed concern for our students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have shared heartfelt sentiments of support. This outpouring of Leatherneck Pride is yet another demonstration of our fighting spirit, our compassion for our students and, by extension, for our communities and each other.

Inspired by this outpouring, we will be asking you to share the ways in which you—our alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff—have been demonstrating care for Western and their communities.

For those in a position to give, we ask that you consider supporting Western’s Student Emergency Fund, established to assist Western students struggling with unbudgeted expenses related to this unprecedented situation.

#LeatherneckStrong
#WIUPurpleAndGoldDayofCaring