A variety of ways to stay connected

The New Year is proving to be dynamic for our alumni, with exciting opportunities on the horizon. Numerous alumni have generously offered their talents and ideas to enhance the Lehigh community around the world.

Lou Benfante ’69 of Hilton Head, South Carolina, connected with Lehigh when he helped develop a survey to gauge local interest in a Lowcountry regional alumni club. As it turns out, quite a few people are interested, and now Lou is looking to put together a golf outing in the area. The success hasn’t stopped there. After receiving the Lowcountry survey, J.R. Wood ’97 volunteered to help rejuvenate club activity in the Upcountry area.

I’m also pleased to share that Brandon Heller ’08 has organized a happy hour on Tuesday, March 19, for the new club startup in Nashville, Tennessee. Keep an eye on the regional newsletters for more information on these and other new events in your area.

Our Lehigh Alumni Association Facebook page has continued to evolve as a way for alumni to stay connected with campus. We received 70 photographs of Alum-to-Alum Lehigh couples for our Valentine’s Day Facebook contest! The winner, who was chosen at random, is Joni Feldbaum ’08, who will be marrying Matt Smith ’08 this autumn. Joni received a dozen brown and white cookies as a prize for sharing her story. Congratulations!

All of the submissions included great stories and stunning photographs. Jessica Lowe ’10 and Steven Lee ’10 met in their senior year of high school, while visiting Lehigh one spring weekend. They reconnected at freshman orientation and have been dating ever since! You can view their submission and a photograph from their engagement session in Linderman Library on Facebook. I would like to thank everyone who submitted their photographs, and everyone who made a gift to Lehigh. If you would also like to give, please visit MyLehigh.

It is fantastic to see the Lehigh experience shared by so many, and to receive so many stories of love that began right here on the Lehigh campus. As such, I’d like to let you know that alumni are invited to renew their wedding vows in Packer Chapel this year at Reunion 2013, which is being held May 16-19.

Also, I’m pleased to announce that Reunion 2013 registration is now open. The Color Me Rad 5K is a new event that is being sponsored in conjunction with the city of Bethlehem. The response has been amazing: In less than three days we’ve had more than 6,000 people sign up to take part! The Alumni Association is working with the city to expand registration. If you would like to get on the waiting list, or volunteer at the event, please visit the Color Me Rad 5K Bethlehem race web site.

As spring approaches, I encourage you to visit MyLehigh for updates on the latest events in your region and to stay connected with your fellow Lehigh alumni.

Yours in Brown and White,
Robert W. Wolfenden
Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations

February 2013