Notre Dame's Siegfried Annual Day of Man Fundraiser sets new goal for 20th year
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Despite the sub, freezing temperatures, students at Notre Dame’s Siegfried Hall walked around in tank tops, shorts and slides, all to raise the money for a local organization.
The annual “Sigfried Day of Man” event is a fundraiser aimed at raising money to support the South Bend Center for the homeless.
The event has become a tradition for Sigfried Hall residents, who have been braving the cold for 20 years to raise awareness and funds for the homeless community. While temperatures hover around freezing, students such as sophomore, Tommy Fawcett participated in the fundraiser by heading to class in nothing but a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, shorts and sneakers.
The students say the goal is to understand what it feels like for people who are homeless and are sleeping in tents or on the streets during brutal winters.
"Day of man started 20 years ago when a Sigfried resident forgot his coat on the way to class," Fawcett explained. "He thought about all the homeless people in the South Bend community who go through these cold winters without proper clothing, coats or blankets. Since then, we’ve dressed up in cut off shirts and shorts every year to raise money for the South Bend Center for the Homeless."
Also committed to the cause is Jake Engelhart, another Siegfried resident. He says he recently paid a visit to the shelter and has his own ideas about what the money they raise should go to.
"I actually just went there last weekend, and they had beds open in the lobby and I want them to use these resources too," said Engelhart. "You know, fill as much space as they can, continuing to have extra beds in the lobby to support those people and really just maximize the space available. Especially, I want a lot of money to go towards food, and I know they do have soup kitchen type of events there but for us, that’s just a major point, to have warm food on a cold night and having a place to stay.”
With the fundraiser in its 20th year, Sigfried Hall's "Day of Man" has raised more than $250,000 for South Bend's Center for the Homeless.
In 2025, the event raised $36,000 and this year, the group of men are striving for $40,000. If you’d like to donate, click here.