Contact: Amy Cagle

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State University will celebrate its 140th birthday Wednesday, Feb. 28 and mark the start of the annual online philanthropy event known as Hail State Giving Days.

HSGD officially begins at 10 a.m. on MSU’s birthday and concludes at 5 p.m. the following day, March 1, for a total of 1,878 minutes in commemoration of the university’s founding as a land-grant institution. 

All alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends are invited to celebrate the occasion by attending the official campus party hosted by the MSU Alumni Association and presented by Renasant Bank. Free and open to all, the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. come-and-go event will be held in the Colvard Student Union’s Dawg House with a special appearance by Bully. A giant cake provided by Aramark, along with ice cream, drinks and a photo booth will highlight the event. Also, treat bags with HSGD goodies will be available for attendees that make a gift during the event.

“In honor of this special time, all Bulldog faithful are encouraged to commemorate this milestone with us by attending the party and hopefully participating in Hail State Giving Days by making a gift to MSU,” said Jeff Davis, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. “Through gifts, Mississippi State can continue to grow and prosper for many more birthdays to come.”

The HSGD philanthropy event originated in 2014 with the purpose of promoting the university’s mission and encouraging Bulldogs to invest with gifts in support of any MSU area.

HSGD will be powered by social media through the hashtag #celebratehailstate.  The drive to contribute will be encouraged through the collaboration of university alumni, friends, students, parents, faculty and staff.

“Donors can #celebratehailstate and give MSU the best birthday gift of all – a chance to impact students, faculty and colleges,” said Georgia Carter, the university’s annual giving director. “We are striving for at least 1,000 donors representing all 50 states and, in essence, painting the nation’s map Bulldog maroon because of our efforts."
For more on Hail State Giving Days, visit hailstategiving.com. Also, remember to like the HSGD Facebook page and follow the event on Twitter and Instagram at @MSU_Foundation.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu, and the alumni association is available at www.alumni.msstate.edu.