CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University hosted another successful Day of Giving.
The event, which ends at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, September 19, topped $1,000,000 Wednesday evening.
You can follow the giving and see the total amount raised by visiting the .
This is the 9th year for the 24-hour fundraiser which provides money for scholarships, program improvements, facility upgrades and more.
The Day of Giving typically happens in the spring but this year administrators chose to hold it in the fall because of the excitement surrounding the start of the new school year.
Chancellor Austin Lane said, "The gifts that come in today mean the world to our students. It allows them to continue on in their journey and to continue to eventually become Saluki alums."
He mentioned those gifts may be the difference between a student remaining at SIU and leaving the school.
"This day means a lot to us," said Chancellor Lane, "because it bridges the gap between students that may have to go home versus those who stay with us because of financial reasons. It's not that they are dropping out, in most cases they are stopping out because they don't have the financial resources."
Since 2017, donors have given more than $17,000,000 to the university.
