The Impact of One Day for UNK 2021

First annual One Day for UNK sees $237,625 in generosity

The first annual One Day for UNK: 24 Hours of Loper Giving saw individuals and organizations make 1,500 gifts totaling $237,625 to support students across the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The philanthropic event centered at givingday.unk.edu and began at noon on Oct. 6 and concluded at noon on Oct. 7.

“Lopers are boldly independent yet fiercely together; this togetherness was vividly demonstrated during UNK’s first annual One Day for UNK: 24 Hours of Loper Giving,” said UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen. “Thank you to each one who invested in the future of our students and experienced the pride that comes with giving back.”

The event’s goal to reach 515 gifts — a gift for each acre of the UNK campus — was surpassed by more than 190%. Contributors selected from a range of options to directly support student scholarships, student organizations, UNK’s three colleges, the library, Loper Athletics and various programs.

“The Loper community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, friends and fans united to make great things happen for our university,” said Lucas Dart, vice president for UNK alumni relations and development. “We couldn’t be more grateful for their generosity and pride.”

One Day for UNK used social media and other online communication to encourage philanthropic support for all areas of the university. Participants shared why they were giving and why UNK matters to them using #OneDayforUNK.

Testimonials of your impact:

“The funds that the Loper Pantry received from One Day for UNK were 100% used to provide over 30,000 food and personal hygiene items throughout the year to over 5000 students at UNK.”                   
– Luís Olivas, Interim Director, UNK Student Diversity & Inclusion

“Without the scholarships I’ve received, I would not be where I am now, which is continuing my educational career at UNK to obtain my Master of Business Administration. I never imagined I would continue my education towards a master's degree but the gracious donors of the scholarships of CBT have made this possible for me. These scholarships along with the faculty and staff have changed my life and allowed me to pursue an education that I can be focused on and full heartly involved on campus while lighten the burden of financial costs enormously.”
– Ashton Baxa, UNK Student

“Last year, Campus Lutheran raised nearly $400 to purchase a new portable speaker system. Now we can use it for student activities both in and outside of our building and create a hospitable welcome wherever we go!”
– Pastor Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman, Campus Pastor, Campus Lutheran-UNK

“The money we raised during the One Day for UNK helped us tremendously at the Annual Japanese Festival. Because of the fund, we were able to cook and prepare Japanese food and provided it for free for at least 600 community members who attended this event. We are so excited to share Japanese culture in the Kearney community to say “thank you” as this community welcomes and embraces Japanese students.”
– Ryo Suzuki, Adjunct Lecturer and International Recruitment Specialist

“We cannot underestimate the impact that One Day for UNK made in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff this year.  From scholarships for study abroad travel to sponsorship of undergraduate student research presentations at national conferences, these donations had an immediate positive impact in the lives of our students. Experiential learning is a core value for CAS and for UNK, and One Day for UNK funds enable our students to set goals achieve dreams that they never thought possible.”
– Dean Ryan Lee Tetan, College of Arts and Sciences

“The scholarship I received will impact my entire future at UNK. This generous gift allows me to succeed academically by relieving myself of the stress that financial burdens cause. Generous donations like the one I received affects students beyond just academics. I can now dedicate more time and effort to the various student organizations I am a part of. I have more time to spend with friends and family, and I can spend less time worrying about what the future holds and more time living and learning in the present. Scholarships don't just benefit students academically, they allow us to grow, to learn, to fail, and to learn again, they give us freedom to experience college not as an unclimbable mountain but as a challenge to be faced head on so we can be ready for the next challenge that life throws our way.”
– Jackson T Miller, UNK Student
 
“The funding from One Day for UNK was used to provide funding for many of the diverse student organizations at UNK. This meant that they had funding to host events such as the first ever Holi Festival of Colors hosted by Global Student Association, a haircutting event by the Black Student Association that provided haircuts to over 24 students, and the 5th Annual UNK Drag Show that brought over 500 students for a night of entertainment sponsored by PRISM our LGBT+ student organization.”
– Luís Olivas, Interim Director, UNK Student Diversity & Inclusion

Thank you, Lopers!

Your generous contributions, which far exceeded our goals and expectations, will be put to work immediately to advance education, enrich campus life and create new opportunities for current and future Loper students.

When Lopers unite to give, great things happen. Thank you and see you for One Day for UNK in 2022!