2023 'One Day for UK' raises more than $1.4 million
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 15, 2023) — University of Kentucky's annual "One Day for UK" event allows the Wildcat community to help carry out the university’s mission and ensure brighter futures throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
More than 50 colleges, programs and causes at UK participated in One Day for UK, the fifth-annual 24-hour universitywide giving day. More than 3,000 donors contributed over 3,800 gifts totaling $1,466,502, raising the combined five-year total to more than $10.6 million.
“Big Blue Nation has a huge positive impact when we come together to support our students and build toward the future,” said Andrew Palmer, director of annual giving. “I’m so excited to see the continued participation and support from alumni, friends, faculty and staff who go above and beyond to make One Day for UK such a success.”
Gifts from across the United States and around the world, combined with a healthy dose of friendly competition among groups, generated excitement for the campaign. Additional funds awarded for winning challenges will largely go toward generating scholarships. The various challenges and recipients are listed below.
- Large College Leaderboard: Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
- Medium College Leaderboard: College of Fine Arts
- Small College and School Leaderboard: College of Public Health
- Large Programs and Centers Leaderboard: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
- Small Programs and Centers Leaderboard: Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence
- Office of Student Success Leaderboard: Basic Needs and Persistence Fund
- Alumni Association Club Leaderboard: Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club
- 1865th Gift of the Day: Gaines Center for the Humanities
- Cats Give Back Challenge: Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club
- First Gift of the Day: UK Alumni Association
- Last Gift of the Day: Center for Applied Energy Research
- Share Your UK Family Challenge: College of NursingCats and Critters Challenge: Center for Health Equity Transformation
- Facebook Likes Challenge: College of Fine Arts
“We love the opportunity to see Big Blue Nation enthusiastically support the university every April,” Palmer said. “Every gift — regardless of size — allows One Day for UK to build momentum and establish a culture of giving in the UK community.”
All contributions support Kentucky Can: The 21st Century Campaign, the university’s comprehensive campaign to increase scholarship support, to fund innovative research, to advance health care, to strengthen the alumni network, to enhance UK’s athletic programs and to grow the university’s endowment.
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.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.