The day usually begins before sunrise with running and pushups for University of Delaware Army ROTC students. Along with their busy schedules, cadets must juggle the responsibilities of their studies, training and, for some, expenses like uniforms and travel costs. That’s why alumni of the program came together to establish the Distinguished Cadet Award. 

Class of 1973 graduate Jonathan Jester and fellow ROTC alumnus the late J. Robert Parsons Sr. were the lead donors behind the award to honor the best and brightest among the Fightin’ Blue Hen Battalion. Still, Jester credits the Army ROTC community with helping to increase the award’s impact and allowing even more talented students to be recognized for future generations. 

“The generous support of our alumni network and others enabled the awards to be presented much sooner than originally conceived and allowed them to be more generous,” said Jester. “I met the two 2022 awardees who were bright, engaging and enthusiastic about embarking on their Army careers. They were grateful and seemed to appreciate how the money would ease at least one concern regarding the transition to military life.”

The Distinguished Cadet Award is just one of more than a hundred successful collective giving projects at UD each academic year. These efforts help unite individuals behind a common cause to make a difference in the lives of Blue Hens. Donors can give directly to a campus fund that resonates with them, ranging from transformative scholarships and innovative research to student organizations and athletics. Some are motivated to give back to the people and programs that impacted them as students, and others are driven to help UD advance solutions to global issues they are passionate about. Every dollar counts to build momentum and spark change on campus and far beyond its borders. 

UD’s cause-based projects are created and led by students, faculty, staff and alumni and hosted on HenFunder, the University’s crowdfunding platform. The UD community rallies support for these initiatives during UD’s annual giving days — GivingTuesday and I Heart UD Giving Day. These giving days allow fundraisers to reach a wider audience and generate even more buzz. Meanwhile, as donors pool their funds in real-time, they can keep up with fundraising progress and spread the word to ensure the project reaches its goal.

Richard Roux, Class of 1982 graduate and vice president of the UD Hockey Alumni Association (UDHAA), can attest to the success and spirit of UD’s giving days. UDHAA members, fans and other loyal supporters make I Heart UD Giving Day a tradition, knowing the funds help offset costs like travel and equipment. They find paying it forward for current students rewarding and have fun engaging in friendly competition. 

“I Heart UD Giving Day gives us a big target to shoot for and creates excitement through fundraising challenges and power hours,” said Roux. “We have generated a lot of energy for our efforts and secured funds that have helped fund the team’s budget for travel, coaching and other operational expenses each year.”

To support projects like these and discover other giving opportunities, the UD community is invited to mark their calendars for I Heart UD Giving Day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. To learn more, visit the I Heart UD Giving Day website. 

If you would like to support UD’s people, programs and places today, make a gift through the Delaware First website. 

About the Campaign

Delaware First: The Campaign for the University of Delaware was publicly launched on Nov. 10, 2017. The comprehensive engagement and fundraising campaign unites Blue Hens across the nation to accelerate UD’s mission of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders, creating solutions to grand challenges, inspiring innovations and transforming lives. The united effort will help create an extraordinary student experience at UD and extend its impact on the region and the world.

Building on the record-breaking support and generosity evidenced by the Campaign, on Oct. 7, 2021, the University announced the extension of Delaware First with a $1 billion goal to further fuel change and innovation for students, faculty, campus and the world.

For more information, call 302-831-2104 or email campaign-info@udel.edu.