Members of the Class of 2017 will be able to directly participate in the funding of the Class of 2017 class gift through a new initiative, “$17 for ’17.”
The initiative encourages students in the Class of 2017 to donate $17 online directly towards the class gift fund. Previously, the class gift has been funded by T-shirt and ticket sales for events sponsored by Class Councils, the A&M organization behind traditions such as Maroon Out, Elephant Walk, Ring Dance and more. Claire Wimberly, Class of 2017 president, said the online-based design of the fundraiser is a new idea.
“It’s a really revolutionary idea, even though it may not seem like it, because previously the only way to donate to the class gift fund has been mostly funded by T-shirt through any one of the class events,” Wimberly said. “So this really makes it easy, you can do it straight through your smartphone, your laptop — it takes about three minutes and all of the proceeds go directly toward to class gift fund.”
Elizabeth Hoelscher, Class of 2017 vice president, said the initiative is a way for students to be directly involved in the purchase of their class gift. 
“I think in the past, the students don’t feel like they’re really connected to the class gift, and I think this is a really easy way for them to feel that connection to the gift and to feel that their legacy is being left,” Hoelscher said. 
The Class of 2017 gift was chosen in February as part of the student elections, but will not be announced until November, after Elephant Walk. Dalton Harris, Class of 2017 gift chair, said some of the funds that are leftover after purchasing the winning option may be used to purchase the second-place option, as well.
“As it’s looking right now, the gift that was chosen, we’re hoping to get some money left over so we can actually not only fulfill our first option, but fulfill our second option on the ballot as well, so that’s kind of a good bit of where this $17 for ’17 initiative is coming from,” Harris said. 
Wimberly said the low dollar amount of the suggested donation makes it a great way for students to leave their mark on A&M. 
“I think it really is a unique opportunity to have a lasting involvement and impact on this campus in a relatively small way,” Wimberly said. “Seventeen dollars is a few 
Starbucks’ cups of coffee and you can donate as little as $5 on the website as well. But really, it’s our mark on Texas A&M that will be remembered as long as this institution is a part of the culture of  Texas and is a part of the world.”
Harris said the class gift is a way for Aggies to have a lasting impact on campus. 
“The class gifts in the past, students walk by them everyday whether it’s the flagpole in Academic Plaza or if they walk underneath the tunnel underneath Wellborn, they see the letters up there. Things like that students walk by everyday,” Harris said. “It’s going to be really cool whenever they come back years after they graduate and just be able to say, ‘This is our class gift, and it’s something I directly contributed to,’ and it’s something they can tell their kids and their grandkids, and something nobody can take away from them.”
Students can donate to the class gift at tx.ag/17for17 from now until the end of next school year.