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Nov. 17, 2008

Trinity University Alumni Honored for Philanthropic Work

SAN ANTONIO – Two Trinity University graduates have been recognized by the San Antonio chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as outstanding philanthropists. They are Michael Bacon ’89, who is this year’s Outstanding Fundraising Professional, and Amy Walton ’08, who received the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award.

Both will were honored at an awards luncheon Friday, Nov. 21, at the Omni San Antonio as part of National Philanthropy Day, when those who give their time, talents, and resources are celebrated for enriching their communities. A total of seven personal and corporate awards were given as a tribute to “those who change the world with a giving heart.”

After earning a Trinity degree in history, Mr. Bacon raised more than $400,000 as director of annual fund gifts

 at Kenyon College in Ohio. Returning to San Antonio, he became the first director of development for the San Antonio Academy, where he launched the school’s first capital campaign and raised $2.5 million. He went on to earn a master’s degree in business from the University of Texas at Austin and worked at the Kronkosky Foundation, H-E-B Grocery Co., and the San Antonio Independent School District.

Mr. Bacon is founder of Bacon Lee & Associates and is a past president of the San Antonio AFP chapter. He has volunteered service to Trinity University, Catholic Television of San Antonio, the McCombs School of Business at UT, the Cibolo Nature Center, and was named to the San Antonio Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List.

Nominators for the award said Mr. Bacon has the “best reputation in town” and exemplifies service to his community, through financial commitments and through the gift of his time, and his ability to demonstrate ethical practices.

Ms. Walton graduated in May with a degree in English and a minor in political science. She is currently enrolled in Trinity’s Health Care Administration’s graduate program and is expected to graduate with a master’s degree in 2010. A graduate of Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, she is a cancer survivor, former sorority vice president, and a fundraiser. With the help of her sorority at Trinity, Ms. Walton created an event called Concert for the Cure, which has raised more than $33,000 in the fight against cancer.

The funds she raises benefit the American Cancer Society and its pediatric cancer survivor program called Camp Discovery. She learned of this program at age 4, when she was diagnosed with a form of leukemia and underwent more than two years of chemotherapy and other treatment. As a child participant at Camp Discovery, she says she learned the importance of acceptance and of helping others. At age 16, she “graduated” from camper status to become a counselor. Her fundraising has allowed the camp to create memory books, videos, and T-shirts for each camper.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals exists to foster the development and growth of fundraising professionals and the profession, to promote high ethical standards in the fundraising profession, and to preserve and enhance philanthropy and volunteerism.

Trinity University, founded in 1869, is one of the nation’s top private undergraduate institutions. Noted for its superior academic quality, outstanding faculty, and exceptional academic and residential resources, Trinity is committed to the intellectual, civic, and professional preparation of its students.