UAMS Day of Giving Surpasses Fundraising Goal by More than $170,000
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), raised more than $470,000 during its seventh Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event that was created to help advance the institution’s mission and contribute to better health for all Arkansans.
In total, UAMS raised $470,250, surpassing its goal of $300,000.
“Though I had no doubt that we would achieve our initial goal, we are absolutely thrilled with the final amount and thankful for all the donors who got behind this campaign to support all the statewide programs at UAMS,” said Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA.
Created by the Division of Institutional Advancement in 2017, the Day of Giving is UAMS’ largest single-day philanthropic effort, helping fuel patient care, education and research programs across the institution, while celebrating the resilience of the entire UAMS community.
This year’s Day of Giving celebration highlighted five featured units and initiatives at UAMS, with activities that focused on the work of these areas. The programs included student scholarships, the 12th Street Health & Wellness Center, the Center for Health Literacy, the Stocked & Reddie Food Pantry and the Culinary Medicine program.
“UAMS is a large institution with many programs that support various health initiatives, so we were extremely happy to be picked as a featured unit to highlight the work that we do,” said Alyssa Frisby, M.S., RD, LD, instructor in the Culinary Medicine program. “During the event, we hosted a cooking class in our teaching kitchen at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, providing a great opportunity to demonstrate our program’s commitment to improving health through culinary nutrition education. We’re incredibly thankful for the generous support we’ve received, and donors can be confident that these contributions will help us enhance the quality of our offerings.”
UAMS providers oversee more than 1 million patient appointments each year at its main campus, nine 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.
“It is very energizing to exceed our initial Day of Giving goal, and we are so grateful for the statewide support we received for this year’s event,” said John Erck, vice chancellor of Institutional Advancement. “Day of Giving offers an opportunity for the UAMS community to come together in a very meaningful way. No matter how big or small, every gift advances UAMS’ important work and improves access to health and wellness services to every Arkansan.”