This year’s Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk raised nearly $67,000 for student aid and set a new fundraising record for the UWM Alumni Association.
Unable to hold an in-person race due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alumni Association organized a virtual 5K that participants could walk or run on their own. It promoted the event, called the Don’t Prowl So Close To Me Virtual Nationwide Tour, like a rock concert, bringing in $66,861 from race registrations, T-shirt sales and donations.
About 1,300 alumni and supporters in all 50 states and seven countries took part in the event. A tour T-shirt that listed participants hometowns as tour stops included 320 communities.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Chancellor’s Student Success Fund, which was created to address the unprecedented need for student aid created by the pandemic. The fund provides UWM student scholarships, fellowships, payment of unpaid balances of tuition and fees, emergency aid and stipends for research. It was established on May 1, 2020 with a $50,000 gift from Chancellor Mark Mone and his wife, Dr. Sara Swanson. The chancellor’s gift was matched by a gift of $50,000 from the UWM Alumni Association.
“Most requests for emergency financial support are for less than $1,000, and 92% of UWM students who receive assistance are able to continue their education,” said Amy Lensing Tate, executive director of the UWM Alumni Association. “We could not be more proud of the success of this year’s event, knowing the number of students who will receive assistance.”
