The University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno Alumni Association announced this week that The Great98 Legacy License Plate auction reached its $100,000 goal in support of student scholarships and the University’s on-campus food pantry, Pack Provisions. The campaign raised money through an online auction of the first 98 University sesquicentennial license plates.
The Great98 auction, which began in October of 2023, encouraged supporters of the University to make one-time, tax-deductible donations of at least $1,000 from each numbered plate for the two programs. Two highly coveted plates – No. 150 and “1874” – were also auctioned off in a special one-day online event last October.
“The sesquicentennial license plate is sophisticated and in demand. Given the depth of community behind this campaign, it will go down in history with a much larger story to tell, touching so many lives,” ÁùºÏ±¦µä Alumni Council Vice President and Campaign Chair Christina Stoever Young said. “It was a true team effort with local legend and University supporter Guy Clifton and my longtime marketing guru Amber Saukkola both putting in countless hours to get The Great98 across the finish line.”
The winning bidders each received a blue license plate with white lettering that featured the University’s sesquicentennial logo, honoring the legacy and impact that the University has had since it was first established in 1874. Thanks to the support of Dean Byrne and Robert Levy at Whittier Trust, a match gift to The Great98 campaign was made a reality, ensuring that the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Alumni Association reached its goal.
Half the funds raised went to student scholarships through the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Alumni Association, helping more students achieve the dream of a college degree. The other half of the funds supported Pack Provisions, a free resource, which provides perishable and non-perishable foods, meal swipes, grocery funds, school supplies, hygiene items and more to University students, faculty and staff.
While The Great98 campaign is complete, University sesquicentennial plates are still available for purchase through the until Oct. 1, 2024. A portion of the initial fee and annual renewal of these plates will support Pack Provisions.
