Meds’74 a class-giving champion

Feature Stories | 30 Oct 2024

When Meds’74 alumni hit the field at Queen’s 2024 Homecoming game, it marked both an important milestone and a full circle moment.

Jane Philpott receiving a cheque — *Meds'74 alumni have raised $450,000 since 2019*

On one hand, the class celebrated their 50th anniversary recognizing another fundraising milestone: $450,000 raised since 2019. At the same time, “raucous” football game antics are among the group’s most cherished memories – from a porcine-led halftime parade in ‘68 to an unlikely souvenir: part of the wooden goal post from the University of Toronto that made its way back to Kingston after an adventurous road game.

The reappropriated goal post segment is still kept with pride by a Meds’74 alumni. The memories it inspires were front-and-centre for 2024 Homecoming weekend – and so was the generosity of its alumni class.

Since graduation, Meds’74 has raised a total of $3.2M – one of the highest ever for any medical school class. That total includes nearly $2.2M in general class donations and $1M through an annual golf tournament first organized by Meds ’74 Honorary President, Bob Reid, for the group’s 30th anniversary.

Class President Gordon Francis said Meds’74 forged lifelong friendships and a deep sense of loyalty while at Queen’s. Their popular, five-year reunions serve as a testament to their commitment to each another – just as their fundraising achievements reflect their steadfast support for their alma mater and the next generation of health-care professionals.

Alumni on the football field during homecoming — Meds'74 alumni on the football field during the
Homecoming game

“Even if you haven’t seen anybody since the last reunion, it’s like you haven’t missed a day,” he says of his classmates. “You spent six very formative years together at Queen’s; it’s like seeing old childhood friends.”

As each reunion approaches, Francis and Reid brainstorm ideas to support Faculty and University goals and then reach out to their classmates. Case in point, Reid’s annual golf tournament to raise money for the Queen’s Medical Student Bursary became so successful it ran for 14 years.

Francis says flexibility is also key to the group’s fundraising. Classmates are encouraged to earmark donations for things they care about – whether supporting a new building or student scholarships. “You decide where you think your funds should go,” he explains. “It’s sometimes easier if there’s a very specific thing that you know you want to contribute towards.”

For example, Francis established a bursary fund for graduate Nursing students in memory of his mother, a nurse by training.

Helping people identify something that's important to them is just one of Francis’s many fundraising secrets. Also important is to focus on participation. Of the roughly 50 alumni with whom the class has maintained contact, Francis says approximately 35 have made donations to Queen’s in this 2024 50th Reunion Fund – a “tremendous” participation rate.

As for what motivates the generosity of Meds’74? It all comes down to supporting a place – and community – that still feels like home.

“If you had to boil it down to one thing, I would just say it's class spirit tied to the University,” Francis explains. “It was a smaller University in ‘74 as well – like 7,000 students – and everything was on the campus. You never really left it. It was your home. Of course, what we got out of Queen’s, both in terms of relationships and training, was … the rest of our lives. And I think that's why many of us keep giving back.”

During their reunions, class members share stories and relive cherished memories – from parties and classroom highlights to study sessions. Alumni Andrew Pipe summed up the Meds’74 experience in a Class Giving report: "Reconnecting with classmates as if we had last seen each other days earlier is a testament to the enduring relationships that developed while we were students.”

Francis is proud of the philanthropic example set by Meds’74.

“If every class was doing this, there would be a nice steady stream of additional funds for the University,” he says. “It was the best time of our lives. And if you recognize that and believe that, then you know, you almost owe it to the University to give back so that somebody else can experience the same.”

Whether on the football field or off it, it’s clear that the alumni of Meds‘74 wear their hearts on their blue, leather jackets.

The two most popular funds supported by Meds’74 are the Queen’s Medical Student Bursary and Medical School Excellence Fund. Learn more about giving to Queen’s Health Sciences.

Meds’74 a class-giving champion

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