The 2025 CU Food Fight raised an astonishing $90,740 for the food pantries at UCCS and CU Denver. 670 donors joined in the battle against hunger on campus, fueling our shared mission to provide students with the stability they need to succeed.
This year’s total is more than double the funds raised in the 2024 food fight.
CU Denver won the friendly competition, raising $49,240. UCCS donors contributed $41,500. Although UCCS did not take the top spot, the real win is what the campuses accomplished together. The generosity displayed during the Food Fight sends a clear message to students: The CU communities are behind them.
“Year two of the CU Food Fight surpassed all expectations,” said Tessa Ackerland, Annual Giving Campus Program Manager at UCCS. “Supporting our university food pantry means providing essential resources to students, especially during challenging times. The impact on students is tremendous, and none of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of the campus communities.”
UCCS’s Clyde’s Cupboard and CU Denver’s Milo’s Market serve as lifelines for students, offering not just food but hygiene items, baby care essentials and access to broader wellness resources. Research shows that food-insecure students are 3.5 times more likely to consider leaving school.
UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet and the Executive Leadership Team personally funded a $3,000 challenge during the competition, incentivizing participation from 30 donors.
CU’s leadership and the CU Foundation also complemented donors’ generosity — and challenged them to give more — with matching contributions up to $400,000 through the end of the year. This includes CU President Todd Saliman offering to match up to $100,000 in donors’ gifts (split equally among campuses) and another $100,000 match from the CU Foundation. CU chancellors Justin Schwartz, Jennifer Sobanet, Kenneth Christensen and Don Elliman have also contributed or are offering matches up to $50,000 each on their campuses. Donations directed to CU Boulder and CU Anschutz went toward food assistance and emergency funds on those campuses.
Additionally, Ent Credit Union recently committed $15,000 to support food-related initiatives at UCCS including matches and challenges for the CU Food Fight, to ensure their funding helped multiply support. This powerful demonstration of shared values and enduring partnership will directly benefit programs that address food insecurity at UCCS.
Over the past few years, student visits to Clyde’s Cupboard have increased by approximately 1,000 annually. Because the pantry is funded entirely by gifts, continued support from the campus community is essential to keeping it stocked and accessible.
The outpouring of support from this year’s campaign has made it possible to keep the food pantry stocked and will allow the cupboard to increase its other resources for those who rely on their vital support.