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Friday Focus: A season of gratitude, an opportunity to give

Feb. 21, 2025

— By Tom Hough, executive director of University Advancement

I always find myself focusing on gratitude this time of year. As much as I love �������� and living in Fairbanks, January and early February can be hard days. I am happy to report that the sun is back! We are currently at 9 hours of daylight and gaining almost 7 minutes a day. It's time to reflect and be grateful. We have sunshine, great snowpack and the perfect conditions to get out and enjoy living in this incredible place.

Another incredible thing that starts this time of year here at �������� is Giving Day. This annual event provides funding for scholarships, programs, athletics and campus events that benefit us all. Giving Day this year will occur from March 25-27, and I am excited to share with you that we are already off to a really great start as we prepare for this year’s event.

Thanks to our generous donors from across the �������� community, we have close to $500,000 committed to this year’s Giving Day. Much of those funds are in the form of challenges that you can participate in. When enough people contribute to a fund associated with each challenge, it unlocks that challenge contribution. It’s a great way for everyone to be a part of getting something big done, regardless of how big of a financial gift you contribute.

Our headliner fundraising event this year will be the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center. This is the year of Troth, and this is the year you need to get involved. During Giving Day, you will be able to take a virtual peek inside this magnificent building that we need your help to build. Your contribution will unlock a $50,000 challenge by Chugach ��������. Our goal is to meet this challenge and raise a total of $500,000 for the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center and other programs during Giving Day.

We often get asked, “How can I get involved?” Well, this is how. The Troth Yeddha’ center is vital, and we cannot do it without you. Please talk to your friends, share on social media and get involved. This is not just a building, it’s a transformative approach to Indigenous studies.

The sun is back, and change is on the march. Be part of that change, be part of Giving Day, March 25-27, 2025. It will put a little sunshine in your heart!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of ��������’s leadership team every week.