MIT Community Rises to Meet 24-Hour Challenge

Glorious old Technology, ’ology ’ology oh! Supporters of the Institute came out in force for the MIT 24-Hour Challenge on March 13, raising a record-smashing $4.9 million for MIT’s world-leading education, research, and innovation efforts.

An annual tradition hosted by the MIT Alumni Association, the challenge brings together alumni, students, families, and friends from across the globe in a daylong effort to support the Institute. This year, donors from all 50 US states and 89 other countries contributed to bolster the MIT community, leading to the most dollars raised in the nine-year history of the initiative.

"Every year I am inspired by the way that this day brings together our worldwide community over the course of 24 hours,” says MIT Alumni Association CEO Whitney T. Espich HM ’24. “Just one word comes to mind when I see this demonstration of support for MIT’s mission and its ongoing strength: gratitude.”

Thanks to the challenge’s 9,773 donors, the event raised critical funds to support student aid, cutting-edge research, and dozens of microchallenges held by groups and departments across the Institute. In all, 60 of the microchallenges—which focused on backing programs ranging from the Aging Brain Initiative to crew—met or surpassed their goals. The top areas for support overall were unrestricted giving and scholarships, which are Institute budget priorities.

This year’s challenge took place just one day before Pi Day (a popular celebration of the mathematical constant), and the Alumni Association also celebrated "pre-Pi Day” with an event on campus featuring free pizza pi(e) and a pi recitation contest for students. First-year student Owen Sondag blew away the competition by accurately listing 767 digits of pi from memory.