POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam broke all attendance records during the college's Bicentennial Reunion Weekend, and raised more than $1.4 million in honor of class reunions.

In celebration of the college's 200th anniversary, more than 1,000 alumni and guests registered for the event, more for a reunion weekend than ever before.

The number of registrants who returned to campus from July 14 to July 17, also Potsdam’s Summer Festival weekend, amounted to a 29 percent increase over the college's last reunion registration record, 775 people attending in 2013.

"What an exciting way to celebrate our bicentennial,” said President Dr. Kristin G. Esterberg. “When I meet with alumni, I am amazed to hear their stories of perseverance, generosity, tenacity and camaraderie. Their unwavering dedication to each other and to the college reminds us of the legacy our alumni are all a part of -- stretching back to those that came before us to make all of this possible, 200 years ago."

It was also a generous year for class giving. SUNY Potsdam alumni and friends gave a total of $1,446,868 in honor of 2016 class reunions this year.

The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association unveiled a special time capsule in honor of the bicentennial, which was dedicated that weekend. Alumni gathered keepsakes from all eras of college history for the capsule, which will be buried under a specially marked stone near Satterlee Hall. The time capsule is meant to be opened in 50 years.