Dam Proud Day raises over $42,000 in scholarships for OSU-Cascades students

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Supporters of Oregon State University-Cascades came together last Wednesday to raise more than $42,000 for student scholarships during Dam Proud Day, the university’s annual day of giving and engagement.

More than 130 community members, alumni of OSU and OSU-Cascades, parents, faculty and staff contributed.

“The generosity we saw on Dam Proud Day from our community demonstrates that Central Oregon is increasingly aware of the need for student scholarships and that the community is invested in the success and future of OSU-Cascades,” said Andrew Ketsdever, interim vice president of OSU-Cascades.

Dam Proud Day, led by the Oregon State University Foundation, engaged university community members through in-person and livestreamed events across the state in Corvallis, Portland and Bend. The effort raised $1.55 million through more than 6,300 gifts.

Of the more than 100 funds across the university that participated in Dam Proud Day, including colleges, student clubs and athletics, OSU-Cascades was among the leaders in terms of dollars raised. Philanthropic efforts focused on student scholarships as more than 30% of students come to the campus eligible for the federal Pell Grant, an indicator of high financial need. Current scholarship funding only meets the needs of half of the students who apply.

Throughout Dam Proud Day, challenge grants encouraged donors. These included:

• OSU Interim President Becky Johnson and her wife Lori Elkins challenging 40 donors to give. They provided a $10,000 incentive gift when the 40 gifts were realized.
• The first 35 donors of the day unlocking a gift of $7,500 from Mary Fay, a Bend resident.
• An anonymous faculty donor giving $2,022 for 25 gifts received near the end of the day.
• Kelly Sparks, OSU-Cascades’ associate vice president for finance and strategic planning, and her husband, Peter Sparks, a psychology instructor, encouraging fellow staff and faculty to give by providing a $1,000 gift incentive.
• Students being encouraged to participate by posting selfies in OSU gear using the hashtag #BendBeavs. After 25 selfies were posted, Ketsdever and his wife, Julie Ketsdever, made a gift of $3,000 to the campus food pantry’s greenhouse project.

“All of these gifts will make a profound difference in the lives of OSU-Cascades students,” said Andrew Ketsdever.

Dam Proud Day launched in 2019 and since then has raised more than $160,000 for student scholarships and programs at OSU-Cascades with nearly 500 donor gifts.

For information on how to contribute to OSU-Cascades, visit OSUcascades.edu/make-gift.