BILLINGS — The MSU Billings Foundation held its second annual Jacket Giving Day to raise money for clubs and organizations on campus.
Over 34 organizations campus-wide raised over $116,000 for the event, more than double the amount raised last year.
Organizations participated in a friendly competition to receive additional cash bonuses from the foundation, but the competition wasn't about the dollars.
The competition focused on the amount of donors that each organization could gather.
Students across both the university and City College campuses took to their cell phones, texting and calling friends and family to get a few dollars here and there.
Club members and their leaders had to have their donations in by the end of Thursday to win cash bonuses from the MSU Billings Foundation.
“The goal for Jacket Giving Day was really participation,” CEO Bill Kennedy of the MSU Billings Foundation said. “It was really exciting to watch donations come in, including several major gifts for healthcare internships, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and the simulated sprayer for our City College auto body students. We couldn’t have made this possible without people on campus and in the community donating and telling their friends and family to donate, too.”
After 401 donations from the community, the winners were announced Friday morning at the finale ceremony.
The first place winner, with 74 donors, was the SimSpray for Auto Body Students, which won a $3,000 bonus.
In second place with 69 donors was the ROTC Training Equipment project, which won a $2,000 bonus.
And in third place with 40 donors was the Library Locker project, which won a $1,000 bonus.
"Investments like those made on Jacket Giving Day are an investment in our campus and our community,” said MSU Billings Chancellor Dan Edelman. “Nearly 80 percent of our graduates stay to work in Montana, and these projects ensure they leave MSU Billings prepared to enhance Montana’s workforce and economy.”
The MSU Billings Foundation is accepting donations through the end of February and hope to receive donations from 500 individuals by that time.
"If you can donate anything, no matter how small, it helps in a huge way," said ROTC member Robin Cunningham, while reaching out to friends and family for support.
