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UAMS celebrated “Out of this World Care" for its ninth annual Day of Giving.
Image by Bryan Clifton
UAMS Raises More Than $650,000 for Day of Giving, Surpassing Goal
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) raised $672,528 during its ninth annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event to raise critical funds that will be used to advance the institution’s mission and support work that is improving the health of all Arkansans.
This year’s event, which celebrated “Out of this World Care,” began at 6 a.m., Oct. 7, and ended at 6 a.m., Oct. 8. The initial goal for the fundraiser was $500,000. It is the second highest dollar amount raised since the inception of the fundraising event.
Started in 2017, the event is UAMS’ largest single-day philanthropic effort, helping highlight patient care, education, and research programs across the institution, while celebrating the support and investment of the UAMS community.
The UAMS Culinary Medicine team celebrated in the Day of Giving photo booth.Bryan Clifton
This year’s event highlighted four featured units: Northwest Arkansas Regional Campus’ Go Baby Go program, Culinary Medicine’s HOPE for Cancer program, the Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine’s Therapy & Sports Performance program, and UAMS CARES (Compassion, Attention, Respect, Empathy, and Service).
“I am very proud of the philanthropic spirit of those that gave to UAMS for this year’s Day of Giving — through these funds, we will continue to provide amazing clinical care, train the next generation of healthcare professionals, and drive innovative research that translates into new treatments and cures,” said UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. “Philanthropy is such an important part of propelling UAMS’s mission forward, so we are grateful for the tremendous support. Every gift, no matter the size, is important to our work in communities across the state.”
Further highlights for this year’s Day of Giving include:
- More than 50% of donors were employees
- More than 20% of donors were alumni
- 10% of donors were first-time donors
- Donors designated their gifts to support more than 100 areas and initiatives across UAMS.
- Gifts were received from donors in 11 states
During Oct. 7 activities, a midday rally was hosted in Little Rock with speakers that included Barnes, John Erck, vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement, College of Nursing student and scholarship recipient Brooklyn Helmbrecht, and grateful patients Larry Alman, chair of the UAMS Board of Advisors, and Jan Alman, former member of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging Community Advisory Board.
“Our UAMS story began with the care that my parents received at the Institute on Aging and continued when we grew our family with in-vitro to conceive our daughter. Later, UAMS saved my life when I developed a severe infection and also saved Jan’s when she was diagnosed with lymphoma,” said Larry Alman. “Seeing the hard work of the clinicians and staff over the years at UAMS, inspired us to create the Jan and Larry Alman Family Endowed Fund for Excellence in the UAMS Institute on Aging in 2023.”
Larry and Jan Alman spoke about their experience at UAMS and why philanthropy is important.Bryan Clifton
“We are grateful that UAMS has been an integral part of lives. How lucky are we to have this intuition that makes Arkansas a better, healthier place to live,” added Jan Alman. “Gratitude is more than a feeling, it’s a force. UAMS is a force that drives us, and hopefully others, to give our time and open our pocketbooks.”
Additional rallies were also hosted in Jonesboro and Fayetteville.
“This year’s Day of Giving in Northwest Arkansas was especially meaningful for many of us,” said Ryan Cork, MHSA, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Region. “A major drive for our fundraising efforts was for the Go Baby Go program, an initiative from the UAMS/University of Arkansas Occupational Therapy program that customizes motorized ride-on vehicles for children with mobility challenges. I’ll never forget the smiles at the rally when one of the children climbed into his new car and drove it for the very first time.”
At the UAMS Northwest Region rally, children were able to ride in their customized vehicles for the first time.David Wise
UAMS providers oversee more than 1 million patient appointments each year at its main campus, network of regional campuses, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, and Arkansas Children’s. UAMS graduates more than 1,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals each year, the majority of whom stay in Arkansas to practice.
State funding is only a small percentage of UAMS’ $1.5 billion annual budget. Patient care revenue makes up the lion’s share, or 75%. UAMS relies on philanthropic support from generous donors in Arkansas and beyond to provide much-needed funds for clinical excellence, groundbreaking research, and innovative education for the next generation of health professionals. Learn more at giving.UAMS.edu.
“We are tremendously grateful for the statewide and national support for Day of Giving, a time that helps UAMS’s impact on the health of Arkansans and celebrates the spirit of philanthropy,” said Erck. “Through charitable giving, UAMS is able to bolster resources that give Arkansans exceptional care, so every gift, every dollar is deeply appreciated.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,030 medical residents and fellows, and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###