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Egg Harbor Township, N.J. — For the fourth straight year, Spencer’s and Spirit have donated $250,000 to the ������Ƶ Foundation, bringing the company’s total giving to $1 million.

Spencer’s and Spirit President and COO Ike Silvera presented ������Ƶ President Joe Bertolino with the company’s latest gift on Nov. 13 at a ceremony at Spencer’s and Spirit’s newly renovated headquarters. Several employees who are ������Ƶ alumni also attended.

“It’s always exciting to host the ������Ƶ team. Our connection to ������Ƶ runs deep,” said Spencer’s and Spirit CEO Steven Silverstein, adding that 18% of the company’s home office are proud ������Ƶ alumni. “We’re incredibly proud to invest in the next generation of leaders right here in South Jersey, our home.”

This year’s donation will go toward the Spencer’s and Spirit Endowed Scholarship at ������Ƶ, the Summer Entrepreneurship and Business Academy, ������Ƶ’s School of Business and a new digital innovation hub that’s being created as part of the renovation of ������Ƶ’s Richard E. Bjork Library.

“We are proud to recognize your remarkable generosity, now totaling $1 million in support of ������Ƶ,” Bertolino said. “That’s more than a number. It’s a lifeline of opportunity and a powerful vote of confidence in our students, our faculty and the future of this region.”

Bertolino announced that the library hub will be named the Spencer’s and Spirit Digital Innovation Suite. The suite is part of a massive $19.5 million library renovation project that will transform the three-story, 100,000-square-foot space into a library learning commons when it reopens in the fall of 2026.

“This hub will give students hands-on access to emerging technologies and tools that inspire creativity, collaboration and discovery,” Bertolino said. “We’re excited to help shape this space together.”

Dan Nugent, executive director of the ������Ƶ Foundation, said Spencer’s and Spirit’s continued support of the university shows the deep bond the entities have created.

“This latest gift is a remarkable testament to Spencer’s and Spirit’s belief in ������Ƶ’s mission,” he said. “Their total contribution of $1 million reflects a deep commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders and strengthening the university-community partnership that defines ������Ƶ’s spirit.”

Ann Arena graduated from ������Ƶ in 1987 and immediately went to work at Spencer’s and Spirit. She’s held many different roles in her 38-year career and is now Division Vice President, Program Management where she oversees project managers who run the company’s information technology projects. She said she’s very proud to see both ������Ƶ and the company she works for grow and come together in a collaborative way.

“It’s really become a natural synergy, and that starts with our CEO, Steven Silverstein. He’s been a real champion of deepening our relationship with ������Ƶ and making sure we’re showing up for the community in a meaningful way,” Arena said. “Over the years, we’ve welcomed several ������Ƶ alumni to our team and consistently partnered with student interns, and what stands out to me is the pride they bring with them. ������Ƶ has grown beyond being a local university — it’s building an impressive reputation.”

One of those ������Ƶ students who hopes to land an internship with Spencer’s and Spirit is Hayden Seiberlich, a junior, who was a beneficiary this year of the endowed scholarship created by the company.

“The biggest thing for me with this scholarship is that it gives me the confidence I need to know that what I’m doing is being recognized in some part by someone,” said the Hammonton native who’s majoring in Computer Science. “It’s one thing to hear congratulations, but to have a tangible reward for paying attention to my grades. It feels like I’m doing something right.”

After the ceremony, Seiberlich said he was very impressed with the opportunities that Spencer’s and Spirit have provided to ������Ƶ students.

“They seem like they’re really trying to put you in the workplace,” he said. “But they are also actively helping you learn how to work in the workplace and get things done.”

The $250,000 gift was also used by the ������Ƶ Foundation as a way to challenge ������Ƶ alumni and the community to contribute during ������Ƶ’s annual day of giving, Ospreys Give. This year’s campaign raised $608,852 from a record 1,446 donors in October.

-- Story by Mark Melhorn, photo provided by Spencer's and Spirit