Holton Community Unites, Raising over $340,000 for Happy Birthday, Holton’s 24-Hour Day of Giving
What a birthday it was!
On February 11, Panthers near and far came together to celebrate the school we love and to move The Holton Fund forward. From the first scoreboard update to the final countdown, the day reflected what Head of School Penny B. Evins described in her afternoon remarks as “the gift of a living community, Holton-Arms, shaped by generations of girls and women who have walked through our Open Door and carried Holton with them into the world.”
Our goal was $150,000.
Together, we raised $340,149 from over 400 donors.
Those numbers are more than a milestone. They are love made visible through action—support that ensures a Holton education continues to nurture our girls in mind, soul, and spirit. Every gift strengthens the classrooms, programs, traditions, and relationships that allow students to grow, belong, and become.
Throughout the day, birthday joy filled the halls. Students danced and posed with the panther. Goody bags were handed out during morning drop off. Families from across all grades contributed with a tie for top participation going to 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th grades. Blue and White faced off in a spirited competition fueled by pride and connection (Blue Team took the win and the bragging rights this year). Leadership gifts secured early momentum, and the excitement built hour by hour.
During the all-school assembly, Ms. Evins reminded us that Holton was built this very same way: intentionally, together, and sustained by people who believed deeply in young women. “We are here because people believed this school and its students were worth giving to. One Panther. One Claw.”
As Ms. Evins shared, birthdays invite us to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we are going together. They call us to carry our history forward with intention and joy.
“On this birthday, and on this Day of Giving, we honor our past not by preserving it unchanged, but by understanding it deeply and carrying it forward with intention.”
Because of the amazing Holton community, our School’s future is bright. Mrs. Holton’s vision—of a school that feels like home, where learning is joyful and challenges are met with courage—lives on in the energy of this community and in the students at its center.
Thank you for celebrating.
Thank you for giving.
Thank you for believing in our girls and supporting them as they Find a Way or Make One.
Happy Birthday, Holton.
