With Christmas right around the corner, people may be beginning to try to think of thoughtful gifts to give to friends and loved ones.

Mercyhurst is once again offering annual campus Christmas keepsakes. The keepsakes are provided by the department of Advancement.

The department works in collaboration with The Cat’s Meow which is based in Wooster, Ohio, to create these beautiful reminders of what makes Mercyhurst unique and special.

The Cat’s Meow is a small company that started in 1982 to craft little wooden buildings of local, national and international landmarks.

They make it possible for people to build custom places, which is the how Mercyhurst designed the locations on campus into the wooden figurines.

For five years, Mercyhurst has been recreating these locations on campus with the help of the company. In the past, the keepsakes were of the Mercyhurst Gates, Christ the King Chapel, the Grotto, and Old Main.

This year, the keepsake depicts the inside of the iconic Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.

While the PAC is the highlight of this year, there is still a limited amount of the past four years’ keepsakes that people can obtain by making a donation.

Courtney Olevnik, director of Annual Giving, said that “the keepsake is available to anyone who makes a gift of $20 or more to the Mercyhurst Annual Fund through December 14.”

By making a supportive gift to Mercyhurst Annual Fund, the keepsake would be sent to the donors.

Olevnik described the keepsakes as more than just a thank-you gift. They “also play a larger role in the concept of philanthropy,” she said.

Those in the Mercyhurst community want to see Mercyhurst’s campus thrive, and by making a donation and receiving the keepsake, one is doing just that. The keepsake actually should be a secondary reason for giving; the first would be to support Mercyhurst Olevnik explained.

These wooden replications make beautiful gifts for anyone who loves Mercyhurst and its campus locations. By making a donation, you can receive a part of Mercyhurst forever. It’s as simple as giving a gift, and then getting a gift.

Make sure you make a donation by Dec. 14, if you would like one of the Christmas keepsakes.

To make a donation, one can visit mercyhurst.edu/keepsake.