FSU’s Bobcat Giving Day Another Successful Fundraising Event

Apr 4, 2025 9:00 AM

Held on April 1 and 2, Frostburg State University’s fourth annual Bobcat Giving Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event, raised $206,415 to benefit FSU students, surpassing last year’s Giving Day total. The campaign also engaged 1,635 donors who contributed to the FSU fund of their choice.

“Thank you to the donors who participated and for following along with the matches, challenges and surprises,” said Stephanie Loar ’12, Annual Giving Specialist. “We appreciate them for advocating for their fund and making a difference for FSU students. They are the true winners of this successful campaign.”

The FSU Foundation Board of Directors donated a $5,000 prize to the fund with the most donors (not dollars) and $2,000 prizes to four other funds for having the most donors in their respective categories. New this year was the surprise addition of five second-place category winners.

In the Athletics category, Athletics Softball took home the top $5,000 prize with a total of 245 donors. The McGreevy Family Visual Arts Scholarship (38 donors), the FSU Chapter of the American Marketing Association (63 donors), the Children’s Literature Outreach and Staffing Fund (72 donors) and PAWS Food Pantry (39 donors) earned $2,000 first-place category prizes.

The second-place prize recipients, earning $500 each, were Athletics Baseball, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, FSU C.A.N.O.E. (Center for Advancement of Natural and Outdoor Experiences), the Frances Ann Shaw Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers and the Ronald H. Nowaczyk Scholarship.

“We are incredibly grateful to our donors, alums, friends and families for rallying behind Bobcat Softball and helping us win this year’s Giving Day competition,” said head coach Bill Vasko. “Thanks to their generosity, we not only reached our goal but earned an additional $6,000 in bonus funds that will go directly toward improving our program and Bobcat Field.”

Coach Vasko continued, “I’m especially proud of our team for the energy and creativity they poured into making this campaign a success. From producing fun, engaging content to sharing their personal stories, they brought our program to life in a way that truly connected with our supporters. This kind of passion, on and off the field, is what makes Frostburg Softball so special.”

“I really enjoyed being part of this year’s Bobcat Giving Day,” said FSU interim President Darlene Brannigan Smith, PhD. “We appreciate those who made gifts to the funds and programs that mean the most to them. When we join together to support our University, we all win.”

Mark your calendars for Wed., April 1, 2026, when Bobcat Giving Day will return with new goals, prizes and surprises. This will be another opportunity for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and Bobcat fans around the world to come together for 24-hours of life-changing and impactful contributions to Frostburg State University.