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Uniting Students, Community and Donors By Mary Ernst & Ashley Plys

Above: Three students show their blue and gold pride. UAF photo by JR Ancheta.

In 2021, the University of Alaska system hosted its second annual Giving Day. Alumni, friends and family, donors and current Nanooks showed their support to the tune of over $1,000,000! The College of Business and Security Management thanks all for bringing us together in celebration of our students and our college, in total $66,133 was raised from 58 donors and challenges. Together we made a difference for the leaders of tomorrow.

The success of CBSM Giving Day was not only due to all the participants donating directly on Nov. 9-10, but also thanks to the challenges and gift matching of many individuals and businesses in the community.

The Reason to Give

UA Giving Day is not just an event for alumni and friends to reminisce about days past, but also an opportunity for current Nanooks to share how UAF and CBSM have supported their professional growth and opportunities. Students were encouraged to share social media shout-outs with pictures or stories that resonated with their social groups.

"Thanks a million" from the UAF Alumni Association on Facebook!
"Even though I wasn't able to contribute monetarily, I was still able to participate in Giving Day by sharing it with my friends and other Nanooks. I felt proud to be a part of Nanook Nation. It offered students like me a chance to feel included and pave the way for future Nanooks" - said UAF CTC student Bonnie Largen.

Largen will graduate with an associate of applied science degree in Process Technology in Dec. 2021 while pursuing her Bachelor of Applied Management at CBSM.

Social media image for the launch of Dean Herrmann’s $1,049 Challenge.

Student organizations and scholarships have been an area of great need for CBSM in recent years. UA Giving Day provides the college with opportunities to raise funds that directly support these areas. This year, CBSM chose three areas of interest to fund:

CBSM Student Support: Direct funding to support student organizations, academic competitions and experiential learning opportunities.

CBSM Student Retention Scholarships: Gifts support micro-awards that provide one-time financial assistance to students struggling and who need some extra help. These scholarships cover fees that financial aid packages do not include or students simply cannot afford. This help may be just the extra boost a student needs to succeed.

CBSM Dean's Excellence Support Fund: Gifts address areas of greatest need and opportunity - from faculty and program support to facilities and equipment, to scholarships and awards.

Donations Unlock Challenges

During the "49 Hours for Alaska," every donation made, no matter how big or small, brought CBSM closer to unlocking several additional challenge donations. These challenges included gifts from Spirit of Alaska FCU, UA President Pat Pitney, Dean Mark Herrmann, and a group of 15 alumni, friends and businesses.

Energized by the opportunity to inspire additional donations, a group of loyal businesses, alumni and friends partnered to each provide gifts of at least $1,049. Once 49 gifts were made to CBSM, their collective gift, totaling over $19,000, was unlocked. In just the second year of UA Giving Day, this was an incredible display of generosity from these individuals and businesses!

UAF CBSM Challenge Partners

Social media image of Lorna Shaw promoting the $1,049 challenge.
“Everybody wins! UA Giving Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the role UAF has played in my life and think about how I can support UAF by providing opportunities to students,” said CBSM alumna Lorna Shaw ‘96 ‘05. “I know that UAF will spend the money raised in the way that most benefits the students.”

CBSM extends a special thank you to those who partnered with us to make such a difference. Thank you to Mike Fink ‘03 ‘04, Leslie and Bob Hajdukovich, Marilyn Romano and Brian Hove '88, Diane ‘78 and Garry Hutchison ‘75, Ryan Muspratt ‘08, Ben Roth ‘91 ‘92, Lorna Shaw '96 '05, Chris Marok Allstate Insurance, Denali State Bank, Hale and Associates, KPMG US Foundation, Newmont Mining, Petro Star, RJG-A Professional Corp, Warwick & Schikora CPAs.

Celebrating Support from Community Celebrities

Several local businesses joined in the fun as Community Celebrities, including Bagels & Brew, Frank’s Menswear, In My Element, and Jolly Roger. These businesses got involved by sharing the event on social media or donating a portion of their profits over the two-day period. Bagels & Brew even released a special menu item in celebration of the 49-hour event.

“I'm happy to support UAF students because I was once one of them,'' said CBSM alumna and proprietor of Bagels & Brew, Audrey Ranstead ‘93.

"I see myself in them and am excited that they chose UAF for their education. UAF treated me well and I have a lot of great memories. I was the first person on my mom's side to graduate from college and I'm really proud of this." - Audrey Ranstead

Many UAF and CBSM alumni stay local and as often as CBSM can, we love to highlight the businesses and achievements of these individuals. Thank you to our Community Celebrities for supporting CBSM and our continued growth.

Thank You

Thank you note created by CBSM student marketing assistant Ashley Plys.

For those who donated, we are so thankful. Words are fleeting, and we want you to know that a simple “thank you” doesn’t do justice to how deeply CBSM appreciates your support.

For those who shared about CBSM and UA Giving Day, we appreciate your help in getting the word out! All of the stories, memories, pictures and laughs warmed our hearts, and we hope that you enjoyed sharing them! Connections make the heart grow fonder.

For all involved, thank you. The College of Business and Security Management is part of a remarkable community, and with your involvement, our students will continue to grow and thrive. The strong community support is greatly appreciated and celebrated within the walls of Bunnell Building and CBSM.

UA Giving Day thank you video created by student marketing assistant Ashley Plys.