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Bears Give Back Giving Day donors set an all-time high of $695,967 from 849 donors.

On Tuesday, March 22, Bear Nation came together to shatter records in support of Ģ����ý during the fifth annual giving day, Bears Give Back.

This year, Ģ����ý donors set an all-time high of $695,967 from 849 donors. Gifts poured in from across the country and around the world, arriving from as far away as Texas, California, Washington state and Canada. The funds benefit Ģ����ý students by ensuring access to scholarships, innovative academic programs, study abroad, athletic opportunities and expanded community engagement.

Match and challenge gifts were a significant factor in the success of this year effort. President Fred Whitt and Donna Whitt issued a matching gift of $10,000, and Ģ����ý secured a $500,000 challenge from an anonymous group of donors when it reached 500 donors. These commitments motivated others to give on this day, extending the impact of their gifts.

�Once again, the Ģ����ý community came together to support and honor this place that we all love so much,� said Cat Serrin Niekro, vice president of advancement and marketing/communications. �We are deeply grateful to every donor who stepped up on Bears Give Back to support our students, faculty and the transformational experiences that happen here every day.�

The collective power of the Ģ����ý community applied to more than gifts. Students demonstrated their strength of giving back by making their own contributions to the campaign, thanking donors, and even supporting a campus-wide service project making literacy flashcard sets for local elementary schools. In addition, Ģ����ý ambassadors spread the word about the giving day through social media and their personal networks.

Ģ����ý giving day has grown steadily since its inception in 2018. The campaign raised almost $98,000 from nearly 300 donors in its first year and $384,000 from nearly 650 donors in 2021.

Even though this year giving day is over, donors can still support Ģ����ý students by making a gift to the university. For more information about making a gift through the fiscal year end of May 31, 2022, visit lr.edu/IGive2Ģ����ýU.