Toast Heard Around the World
Toast Heard Around the World (THAW) is a long-standing Muhlenberg tradition during which alumni and friends gather around the world to celebrate the college and each other.
March 5, 2026
Save the date! We’re raising a glass to change! Beginning in 2026, THAW will move to the first Thursday in March.
We’re excited about this new chapter and look forward to making the 2026 toast better than ever — with more alumni connections, more celebrations, and more reasons to come together.
So cheers to change, and to the community that makes THAW so meaningful — wherever you raise your glass.
What is THAW?
Toast Heard Around the World (THAW) is a long-standing tradition during which alumni and friends gather across the country, around the world, and online to celebrate the college and each other. It’s a great chance to catch up with ’Berg friends or meet Mule neighbors you didn't know you had.
Gatherings by Location
California
Host: Leslie (Arndt) Cavaliere ’86
District of Columbia
Host: Emily Robinson '19
Florida
Hosts: Charlotte Sachetti '08 and Becca Yorinks '08
Massachusetts
Boston
Host: Christina Coviello '02
North Carolina
Host: Jeff Koehler '79
Pennsylvania
Host: Carol Shiner Wilson
Gatherings by Affinity
Class Years
Host: Mitch Goldblatt '79
Private Groups
Benfer Roommates
Patti (Norek) Read '07
FAQs
Curious about THAW? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions below, or email bergalum@muhlenberg.edu for more information.
General Questions
Muhlenberg's Toast Heard Around the World (THAW) is an alumni tradition that began in 2014. It is the one night each year when Mules across the country and around the world gather in their local communities, or virtually, to meet each other and raise a toast to our alma mater. Alumni volunteers partner with the college's Alumni Office to organize gatherings and invite Mules to attend. Those who can't make it to a group THAW event are encouraged to toast on their own wherever they may be. In 2025, more than 1,000 Mules participated.
THAW is a great way to meet alumni who live near you (you'll make new friends and connections as you discover Mule neighbors you didn't know you had!) and to re-connect with friends, classmates, and teammates whom you haven't seen in awhile. At THAW events, you'll also learn what's new at Muhlenberg while reminiscing about your student days. It's not always possible to come back to campus, but THAW gives you the opportunity to stay connected to the college and other alumni no matter where you are. THAW is one day when Muhlenberg comes to you — don't miss it!
There are three ways that Mules can participate in THAW:
1. Organize a THAW event for alumni in your affinity / friend group, or your geographic area or workplace. For more information about hosting a THAW event, see the Volunteer Host Questions section below.
2. Attend a group THAW event of your choice (or more than one!). Look for announcements from the college and alumni volunteers to find out how you can celebrate THAW with other Mules in your area or affinity group. Events will be added to the THAW homepage as they are confirmed.
3. Toast on your own, or with a Mule friend, family member, or co-worker. Wherever you are, join the THAW celebration and share your photos with us on social media.
An affinity group is a group based on common interests or characteristics, rather than geography. And virtual THAWs make it possible for Mules to gather with folks who don't live close by. Examples of affinity groups include athletic teams, clubs, fraternities and sororities, class years, academic areas, residence halls, casts of a particular show, etc. Check the THAW homepage to see which affinity groups are gathering for THAW. Or contact us and start your own! Email bergalum@muhlenberg.edu to get started.
Beginning in 2026, THAW is moving to the first Thursday in March. As new THAW locations and groups are confirmed, they will be added to the THAW webpage.
Possibly! With the addition of virtual events, you may see several THAWs that appeal to you. Check the details; they won't all happen at the exact same time. You can register for any events that interest you.
Yes! In 2017, Muhlenberg's THAW event was selected as a Bronze level winner in the "Special Event, Single Day" category of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Awards. THAW was one of six winners chosen from 73 entries in the category. Judges recognized THAW for its ability to engage and interact with alumni far and wide. No matter where you are, you can participate in THAW this year!
Volunteer Host Questions
How to host an open THAW event
An open event invites all alumni in your area or affinity. This is a great option if you want to meet new Mules or bring together larger groups of people.
- Agree to be the point person for your event. You may recruit other volunteers to work with you.
- For in-person events, secure / reserve a location for your event (a local restaurant, bar, coffee shop, bowling alley, your home, etc.).
- For virtual events, you have the option to run the session through a Muhlenberg College staff Zoom account, or you may run the session through your personal Zoom account.
- Submit event details to the Alumni Office.
- To support you, the Alumni Office will:
- Set up a registration page online to collect RSVPs for your event.
- Send email invitations to all alumni.
- Provide you with templates and an alumni list, so you can send your own invitations via email and social media.
- For in-person events, send you a THAW sign kit to enhance your event experience, and provide a budget to cover the cost of food for guests to share (based on attendance, cannot be applied to alcohol).
- For virtual events, provide you with digital content to enhance your event experience, and provide staff technical support for your event as needed.
- Provide ongoing communication and support during the THAW planning and wrap-up periods.
- As a THAW host, you will:
- Sign the Muhlenberg College Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement.
- Be the contact person.
- Invite Muhlenberg alumni to attend, using resources provided by the Alumni Office or your own resources.
- Prepare and deliver a toast in honor of Muhlenberg College.
- Greet guests and share college-provided content.
- For in-person events, keep track of attendance.
- Encourage guests to take pictures and share them via email or social media.
- Submit a group photo. For in-person events, submit final attendance list and reimbursement-eligible receipts to the Alumni Office following your event.
- Fill out an evaluation form about your event.
How to host a private THAW event
A private event invites only alumni of your choice. This is a great option to bring together groups of friends.
- Agree to be the point person for your event. You may recruit other volunteers to work with you.
- For in-person events, secure / reserve a location for your event (your home or business, a local restaurant, bar, coffee shop, etc.)
- For virtual events, run the session through a personal Zoom (or similar) account. College staff tech support is not offered for private events.
Submit event details to the Alumni Office. - To support you, the Alumni Office will:
- Provide you with templates and an alumni list, so you can send your own invitations via email and social media.
- For in-person events, send you a THAW sign kit to enhance your event experience.
- For virtual events, provide you with digital content to enhance your event experience.
- Provide ongoing communication and support during the THAW planning and wrap-up periods.
- As a THAW host, you will:
- Sign the Muhlenberg College Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement.
- Be the contact person.
- Invite Muhlenberg alumni to attend, using resources provided by the Alumni Office or your own resources.
- Collect RSVPs for your event and keep track of attendance.
- For virtual events, schedule and host the Zoom (or similar) session for your event and share the access details with guests.
- Prepare and deliver a toast in honor of Muhlenberg College.
- Greet guests and share college-provided content.
- Encourage guests to take pictures and share them via email or social media.
- Submit a group photo and final attendance list to the Alumni Office following your event.
- Fill out an evaluation form about your event.
Still have questions? Send an email to bergalum@muhlenberg.edu, or call the Alumni Office at 1-800-464-2374.
How to host a THAW@Work event
A THAW@Work event is the same as a private event, but it happens in the workplace during the workday, and invites alumni colleagues of your choice. This is a great option if you work with other Muhlenberg alumni.
- Agree to be the point person for your event. You may recruit other volunteers to work with you.
- For in-person events, secure / reserve a location for the event within your workplace or at a nearby cafe.
- For virtual events, run the session through a personal or work Zoom (or similar) account. college staff tech support is not offered for private events.
- Submit event details to the Alumni Office using the form linked above: in-person or virtual.
- To support you, the Alumni Office will:
- Provide you with templates so you can send your own invitations via email and social media.
- Provide partnership with Career Center staff to help you identify Muhlenberg alumni at your workplace.
- For in-person events, send you a THAW sign kit to enhance your event experience, and provide you a budget to cover the cost of coffee and donuts (or similar) for alumni in attendance.
- For virtual events, provide you with digital content to enhance your event experience.
- Provide ongoing communication and support during the THAW planning and wrap-up periods.
- As a THAW host, you will:
- Sign the Muhlenberg College Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement.
- Be the contact person.
- Invite Muhlenberg alumni to attend, using resources provided by the Alumni Office or your own resources.
- Collect RSVPs for your event and keep track of attendance.
- For virtual events, schedule and host the Zoom (or similar) session for your event and share the access details with guests.
- Prepare and deliver a toast in honor of Muhlenberg College.
- Greet guests and share college-provided content.
- Encourage guests to take pictures and share them via email or social media.
- Submit a group photo and final attendance list to the Alumni Office following your event.
- Fill out an evaluation form about your event.
Absolutely. Co-hosting can be a great way to reduce workload while achieving greater results. You may wish to work with another alum whom you already know, or the Alumni Office may have a suggestion of a good partner in your area. Contact email bergalum@muhlenberg.edu for co-hosting tips.
Volunteers typically begin planning their THAW events in late fall. To ensure maximum promotion time for your THAW, we recommend that volunteer hosts confirm all event details with the Alumni Office as soon as possible.
After you complete a volunteer confidentiality agreement, the Alumni Office will provide alumni contact information based on geography or affinity group. If you are hosting a THAW@Work event, our Career Center may be able to help you identify alumni at your workplace.
There are two types of THAW events that involve groups of Mules gathering together:
1. An Open THAW invites all alumni in a given area or affinity. The event is listed on the THAW homepage and registration is open to everyone via an online event link, or by calling the Alumni Office. Most THAW events are open — this is a great choice if you want to meet your Mule neighbors or bring together larger groups of people. Open THAWs can be held in-person or virtually.
2. A Private THAW, including THAW@Work, invites only alumni of the host's choice. This is a good option if you want to bring together only specific people, such as friends you already know. The event is listed on the THAW homepage, but the host is solely responsible for issuing invitations and collecting RSVPs. Private THAWs can be held in-person or virtually.
THAW@Work is a variation on a Private THAW, making it convenient to celebrate THAW during the workday with co-workers who are ’Berg alumni. The Alumni Office provides support and, for in-person events, covers the cost of coffee and donuts (or similar) for Mule colleagues to share. THAW@Work can be held in-person or virtually.
Possibly. If you would like to coordinate multiple virtual THAW events for different affinity groups or regions, you are welcome to do that as long as you stagger the times and can fulfill all host expectations for each event you host. If you want to coordinate an in-person THAW in addition to one or more virtual THAWs, you will need to significantly space them out time-wise, perhaps hosting the virtual THAW at lunchtime and the in-person event in the evening. Of course, while this is possible, it's not expected. As an alternative, we recommend recruiting another alum to host one of the THAWs you have in mind.
Yes. Volunteer hosts are asked to pre-determine the time when the toast will happen (we recommend a mid-point during your event) and to prepare and deliver a toast during THAW. Hosts are encouraged to create their own toast — there is no formula you need to follow. Your toast can be short, long, funny, sincere, whatever you think best represents your connection to Muhlenberg! If you like, you can recruit another alum to handle the toast duties.
The Alumni Office provides ongoing support for all open, private, and THAW@Work events. In-person events will receive physical materials and virtual events will receive digital content to enhance the event experience. Additionally, THAW events that are both open AND in-person will be offered a budget to cover the cost of food for the group to share (based on attendance, cannot be applied to alcohol).
No. The Alumni Office recognizes that volunteer hosts will have varying access to, and familiarity with, the technology needed to host virtual events. When you submit details for your THAW event, you will be asked whether you intend to host the event through your own Zoom account (if so, you will provide the event link and passcode) or whether you prefer your event to be hosted by a college staff person through a college Zoom account. Muhlenberg will manage technology logistics for as many open virtual THAW events as needed when volunteer hosts lack the capacity or comfort level to do so on their own. Please note that for private virtual THAWs, hosts must manage their own technology (Zoom, Teams, Facetime, Google Meet, etc. will all work!)
In-person events work best for folks who are geographically close. If your desired group is spread out, a virtual THAW is a better option for you. And while it's a nice idea to want to virtually include friends and classmates who can't attend in person, the results can be awkward and distracting. Additionally, Muhlenberg lacks the staff and tech capacity to support in-person events in this way. However, if you would like to pursue this option for your event, you are welcome to discuss it with your event venue and work through the logistics with venue staff and event attendees.
The Alumni Office is thrilled that you are interested in THAW! Contact us at any time with other THAW questions — just send an email to bergalum@muhlenberg.edu or call 1-800-464-2374. Hosts will receive ongoing communication, guidance, and support from a dedicated member of the Alumni Affairs staff.