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529 Day Through the Years

For more than 10 years, Virginia529 has introduced new and exciting ways to celebrate 529 Day and award smart savers with money for their Virginia529 accounts. Take a look at how we’ve celebrated in years past!


2021

The Tuition and $10k Giveaway gave families an opportunity to win a bonus contribution to their Invest529 account. Webinars and videos offered opportunities to learn more about the benefits of saving in a tax-advantaged 529 account.

2020

Virginia529 introduced its Smart Savers Academy series by giving away 10 Invest529 accounts worth $529 to live webinar attendees.

2019

Thousands of families opened an Invest529 account for an entry in the “Plan 4 the Future” Sweepstakes where the final Prepaid529 contract was given to a lucky winner.

2018

2018 marked the 10th year and grand finale of the “529 Baby,” Virginia529’s partnership with hospitals across the state. The 529 Baby Giveaway awarded college savings accounts to babies born on 529 Day.

2017

Dan Shegogue has 20,000 reasons to be excited about his daughters’ future. He won Virginia529’s 2017 529 Day sweepstakes, which awarded him $20,000 toward the new Invest529 account he’d opened for his older daughter Ella. Read Dan’s story

2016

Thirty-one new account owners each won a bonus $1,000 contribution in May 2016 through Virginia529’s" $1,000 a Day" 529 Day sweepstakes.

2015

"Surprise, you won $10,000!" That’s what Virginia529 told Mike LoBue of Leesburg, Virginia when he won the 2015 529 Day sweepstakes. Read Mike’s exciting experience and other Virginia529 customers’ Saving Success Stories.

2014

Kristin Ta of Chantilly, Virginia won Virginia529’s 2014 529 Day contest, receiving a $2,500 contribution that she split between her two children’s Virginia529 accounts. Read the Ta family’s college saving success story and how Kristin’s husband’s Vietnamese heritage gave them a jumpstart.

2013

Two lucky families– one new to saving and another already underway– each won a $5,000 college savings account from Virginia529 as part of the 2013 529 Day festivities. The Children’s Museum of Richmond raffled off an eight–semester prePAID tuition contract. Our baby initiative expanded to 21 participating hospitals around the state and we kicked off the inaugural issue of the VA529 Xpress, our e–newsletter.

2012

In 2012, Virginia529 awarded 10 lucky families accounts each with an initial opening balance of $529. The hospital initiative returned and again, several infants were born very lucky, winning $529 just as they took their first breath! We also participated in our first Twitter party #529Day!

2011

Museums across Virginia joined in the fun for 2011! Museums across Virginia, including the Science Museum of Virginia, reduced admission to $5.29 on May 29. Eight babies born on 529 Day throughout Virginia won college savings accounts with an initial $529 opening balance.

2010

On May 29, 2010, Virginia529 held its second–annual 529 Day celebration in Richmond at the Diamond with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Several 2009 529 Day winners joined us to celebrate their first birthday and throw the first pitch! We once again awarded college savings accounts with initial $529 opening balances to multiple mothers of infants born at Virginia hospitals and also awarded college savings accounts with initial $100 opening balances to three lucky spectators with a signed program from Nutzy the mascot.

2009

Virginia529 held its inaugural 529 Day celebration in 2009. That year, and each year thereafter, we have partnered with select hospitals across the state of Virginia for a 529 Day Baby Initiative, where one lucky mom whose infant is born closest to 5:29 p.m. on May 29th is awarded a college savings account with an initial $529 opening balance. Virginia529 held a celebration at their office in Richmond, inviting the public to join for games, prizes, pizza and cake– and, of course, the chance to learn about and open a Virginia529 account.