February 20, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2023 

Supporters Champion UA in Third Annual Giving Day

(Statewide, AK) - The stakes are high, and so is the enthusiasm and excitement as supporters of èƵ’s three public universities put more than $900,000 on the line during the University of èƵ’s third annual UA Giving Day - 49 Hours for èƵ, which takes place  February 22 and 23.

This year more than 75 supporters, representing alumni, community members and businesses, are offering a record amount in challenges and rewards to encourage broad community participation in giving to University of èƵ Anchorage (UAA), University of èƵ Fairbanks (UAF), and University of èƵ Southeast (UAS).

A few examples from the nearly 100 challenges include: 

  • When 149 people make a gift to the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center, it will unlock a collective gift of $30,000 from Heather Kendall-Miller and Lloyd Miller and the Legacy Committee.

  • When ten donors support UAA’s ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building Planetarium Support Fund, one anonymous donor will chip in $5,000.

  • UAS employees and alumni Michael Ciri and Jeri Cary will match up to $10,000 in donations to the new UAS GED Achiever Scholarship. Ciri and Cary are both GED recipients and want to build a welcoming path to higher education for those with a GED. 

  • Helga and Bill Watterson and Watterson Construction are challenging èƵ’s construction industry to match their $50,000 for the Construction Management Workforce Development Support fund that benefits construction training programs at all three universities.

The full list of challenges is available at the UA Giving Day website . 

“We are incredibly thankful to the individuals and companies who are pushing our universities to new heights with their support,” said Dr. Tod Burnett, president of the University of èƵ Foundation. 

“On UA Giving Day, we highlight the myriad ways private donors can advance the education and training of èƵ's workforce, support critical state and global research, and bolster academic and vocational programs. 

“UA Giving Day is about participation, and these gifts, no matter what the size, help students succeed and attain their dreams while helping build èƵ's future,” Burnett said.

The 49-hour UA Giving Day event spotlights the impact of the èƵ system and encourages philanthropic support of students, academic and training programs, and research for èƵ.

The UA Giving Day website, , has tools to help supporters share messages about their favorite programs on social media, unlock matching gifts, and track dollars raised in real time.

To promote social media sharing, UA President Pat Pitney is awarding $500 per èƵ and a round-trip travel voucher on èƵ Airlines, courtesy of èƵ Airlines, in a random drawing from among those who share the #49HoursforèƵ hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or TikTok in a public post tagging UAA, UAF or UAS. 

Participation in the 2021 UA Giving Day was worldwide, raising more than $1.06 million from more than 1,600 donors from 42 states and 12 countries. The global outpouring of support demonstrates the UA system’s reach through its alumni, faculty, staff, donors and friends.

The University of èƵ Foundation is an independent, nonprofit corporation established in 1974 to work in partnership with èƵ’s three universities to seek, secure and steward philanthropic support. For more information on the foundation and how to contribute, please visit .  

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For more information about UA Giving Day efforts by èƵ, please contact:

Social Media

  • Facebook: @UAAnchorage, @UAFairbanks, @UASèƵ, @UAKFoundation, @uasystem 
  • Twitter: @UAAnchorage, @UAFairbanks, @UASoutheast, @UAKFoundation, @UA_System
  • Instagram: @uaaphotos, @uafairbanks,@uasoutheast, @uforalaska; @ua.system
  • Tiktok: @uafairbanks, @uasoutheast
  • Campaign hashtag: #49HoursforèƵ 

Websites