MILWAUKEE – For the sixth consecutive year, the Milwaukee Athletic Department held its "For the MKE" Giving Challenge and the Panthers are proud to announce their most successful campaign to date.
 
The challenge is aligned with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's campus-wide "414 for UWM Giving Days", which is held annually on April 14.
 
This year, the athletic department raised $105,691 thanks to contributions from a record 339 total donors, the highest total since the inception of the event and a 15 percent increase in total donors year-over-year.
 
"Celebrated across the city each year, '414 Day' continues to be a critical day for Milwaukee Athletics, as we get to honor the city that we are fortunate to call home," Panther Fund Director Zach Beaschler said. "An all-time high in donor support continues to show the passion and growth for MKE Athletics. Our student-athletes, and staff, thank everyone for giving the gift of Panther Athletics!"

The Panthers' women's basketball team earned bragging rights for the year, raising $16,810. The team that had the most donors of any across the department was track & field/cross country, who established a single-program new mark of 75.
 
Other highlights include a 54-year range of alumni donors, as alumni who donated to Milwaukee Athletics ranged from the Class of 1971 to the Class of 2025. The most common donor affiliation was from alumni, which represented 32 percent of the total donors.
 
The department also raised $28,377 for the Panther Excellence Fund, which provides support to all our student-athletes, teams, and coaches. The total marks the highest contributed to any single fund in the event.
 
This friendly giving challenge was created to help drive support for Panthers' student-athletes and enhance specific areas of each program. 
 
For more information on how to support Milwaukee Athletics via a gift to the Panther Excellence Fund or to an individual program, please contact Zach Beaschler (beaschle@uwm.edu).