Thanks to the generous donations of hundreds of alumni, faculty and staff, and other friends of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the UW-Platteville Foundation raised over $121,000 with its annual Day of Giving.
The event is held each year on Oct. 9 to celebrate the university’s founding by raising funds to support student success in all its forms. While donors are welcome to give to any cause, this year the foundation focused its efforts on three areas: Pioneer Provisions, the Pioneer Scholarship Fund and an emergency fund for students, Pioneers Helping Pioneers.
“These three initiatives are so important because they support students holistically,” said Missy Lipska, annual giving and donor relations officer and coordinator of the event. “The obstacles students face on their paths to success vary, but when basic needs aren’t being met, it’s very challenging for students to excel academically. The donations received will be put to work immediately to assist students who are facing crises or are at risk of dropping out. Of course, we appreciate donations of all kinds because they all make a difference for students.”
Monetary donations were not the only way that people showed their support, either. The Foundation staff hosted a food drive to stock the Pioneer Provisions’ pantry. The pantry was started as a way to provide a reliable food source to students after a spring 2017 campus survey indicated that 44.6% of students at UW-Platteville had experienced food insecurity at least once per semester.
“I am blown away by the response we had yesterday. Alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and students really stepped up to make a difference. Pioneer Pride was on full display yesterday, and I am so thankful to everyone who participated,” Lipska said.
If you’d like to support these and other meaningful initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville go to https://www.uwplatt.edu/give or contact our Alumni Association and Foundation by phone at 608.342.1181 or email at foundation@uwplatt.edu.