UCCS will be celebrating its day of giving on April 9, 2026. Launched in 2025, “Carry the Light” is a campus-wide effort working collectively to foster community and spark meaningful change by supporting funds across campus that provide student scholarships, essential programs and resources.
The Carry the Light theme acknowledges the influence that we all carry, and how we channel our experiences at UCCS into the world around us, creating opportunities for students and the campus community to thrive.
“Carry the Light is our chance to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” said Tessa Ackerland, Annual Giving Campus Program Manager at UCCS. “When we come together around a shared purpose, our collective energy becomes something powerful, creating momentum far beyond individual efforts and helping students carry their light into our community and beyond.”
Individual participation on UCCS’s Carry the Light Giving Day can take various forms. Below are options for Giving Day activities:
Donate: You can support UCCS’s inaugural Giving Day by making a gift to one of the 24 designated funds. Contributions, big or small, make a difference. Visit the Carry the Light giving page.
Spread the Word: Follow UCCS on Facebook for updates starting in early April and share them on your social platforms to help us spread the word.
This 24-hour giving day is more than just a fundraiser—it is our chance to shine. Let’s come together, spark some joy on this second annual day of giving and brighten the future for our Mountain Lion community. Mark your calendars and be part of the event—trust us; you won’t want to be left in the dark. Together, we can light the way toward a brilliant future for UCCS.
Thanks to the generosity of the Mountain Lion community, more than 250 donors gave over $100,000 to the 2025 Carry the Light campaign, creating a solid foundation for future giving traditions.
For more information and to stay updated, contact University Development at [email protected].