Thank you for your
generous contributions!
We are still riding high after our magnificent 150th reunion and Hall of Fame induction weekend, when we welcomed more than 120 Illini Media alumni back to campus to honor our incredible legacy and chart a course for the future of the company.
From the Friday evening open house and the panel discussions to Saturday’s banquet and star-studded induction to Sunday’s brunch with keynote speaker Dan Balz, the weekend was packed with opportunities for reminiscing and celebrating.
We hope those who were unable to attend in person had a chance to watch a live stream on our YouTube channel or read the profiles and listen to the podcasts on our Hall of Fame inductees.
Those who were able to come back to campus can attest to the energy and enthusiasm from the alumni, students and staff that filled the University YMCA.
Without question, the most widely shared sentiment during the reunion was, “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for The Daily Illini/WPGU.”
We understand what your experiences at Illini Media meant to you, and this is why we turn to you now to ensure that U of I students continue to have the same opportunities to thrive and succeed that you did.
Illini Media Means is our annual fundraising campaign to secure that future with a goal of $150,000 in honor of our 150th year of publication.
We have partnered with the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois to establish professionally managed funds that will put your money to use in the most efficient, effective way. Whether it’s a few dollars or a major gift, here are a few examples of what your donation can afford us:
- $50 means a Daily Illini reporter can travel to cover a volleyball game at Purdue
- $100 buys a pair of headphones for the WPGU on-air and production studios
- $250 pays for our student sales manager to attend a College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers management workshop
- $500 covers our Internet and web hosting charges for one month
- $1,000 pays for sending a group of students to the Illinois College Press Association conference in Chicago
- $5,000 annually funds a special team of reporters and editors to cover local news to benefit the Champaign-Urbana community
We also appreciate the professional expertise and advice many of you have so generously given to our students over the years – whether it be from visits, critiques, roundtables, emails, phone calls or networking opportunities. Your willingness to stay involved continues to inspire the hundreds of students who pass through our doors hoping to carry on the legacy you helped build.
Illini Media Millennium Patrons
Recognizing those who have contributed $2,500 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
Rose Costello – $15,000
Robert Renner
Jim Schlueter – $150,000
Illini Media Publishers Patrons
Recognizing those who have contributed $1,000 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
Robin Baumgarten
Mona Blaber
Michael and Nicole Dizon
Kit and Joe Donahue
Ann Dwyer and Paul Budin
Ed Epstein
Brad Fuhr
Jean Lachat
Will Leitch
Ralph Nozaki
Steve Osunsami
John Paul
Dorothy Puch Lillig
Pat Wingert Kelly
Illini Media Newsroom and Studio Patrons
Recognizing those who have contributed $500 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
Louise Donahue
Natasha Korecki
Rocca Maria Balice Kresnicka
Ron Logsdon
Jenn Mesenbrink
Cathy Ritter
Rick Sallinger
Bernard Schoenburg
Ed Sherman
Jacob Singleton
Illini Media Editor and Director Patrons
Recognizing those who have contributed $250 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
Taylor Bell
Michael Cetera
Larry Doyle
James Fry
Karen Huelsman
Elizabeth Kalkowski Shields
Paula Kamen
John J. Kim
Douglas Lee
Brian Pitts
Catherine Spellman Roberts
Don Rohan
Illini Media 150 Circle
Recognizing those who have contributed $150 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
Kathleen Bailey
Linda Bergstrom
Susan J. Smith Cornwell
Gene Honda
John Lalande
Charlie Meyerson
Lex Tate
Steve Warmowski
Friends of Illini Media
Recognizing those who have contributed $50 or more to the Illini Media Means annual campaign
James Boyd
Michael Bushman
Kevin Cullen
Randy Drolen
Mark Fitzgerald
Miles Harvey
Judith Hevrdejs-King
Sarah Hoban
Jean Lachat
Miriam G. Landau
Evan McLaughlin
JoAnne Pazderski
Timothy Pretzsch
Richard Romer
Samuel Schoenburg
Therese Sowka
Susan Sternberg
Marsha Stoltz
Steven Winner
Mark Wukas
