‘One Day for UK’ 2025 brings together thousands in support of students, programs and research
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 5, 2025) — In just 24 hours, the University of Kentucky community showed once again what’s wildly possible when Wildcats rally together.
On April 24 UK’s seventh annual 24-hour giving campaign, “One Day for UK,” saw 2,719 donors make 3,955 gifts totaling $989,369.73. With this year’s effort, the campaign’s cumulative total has now surpassed $13.5 million since its inception.
“What makes ‘One Day for UK’ so powerful isn’t in the numbers — it’s in the people behind them,” said Jake Lemon, UK’s vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. “Every gift is a reflection of belief: belief in our students, in our mission and in what’s possible when this community comes together. The generosity we saw this year is a powerful reminder that every single donor plays a part in moving this university forward, one meaningful gift at a time.”
Donors from across the country fueled friendly competition among more than 50 participating colleges, programs and causes. Challenges, leaderboards and matching gift incentives helped fuel excitement throughout the day, with several groups earning extra funds to further support their initiatives.
Several new challenges debuted this year to enhance the competitive spirit. In the Decade Duel Challenge, graduates from the 1980s rallied the most donors and in the UK Employee Giving Challenge, the College of Communication and Information had the highest number of faculty and staff donors earning bonus funds.
“The new challenges we introduced in 2025 added fresh energy and fun to ‘One Day for UK,’ giving Wildcats additional ways to get involved,” said Andrew Palmer, UK’s director of annual giving. “As we look toward 2026, our team is committed to evolving the event even further, building on what worked, introducing new ideas and creating opportunities that bring the Big Blue Nation together like never before.”
To see all of the groups that claimed victory on leaderboards, power hours and other challenges on “One Day for UK,” visit onedayforuk.com/pages/challenges-2166.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.