Thanks to a big dream and 15,476 campus, community, and alumni blood donors, UW–Madison was the proud winner of 2025 Abbott and Big Ten ‘We Give Blood’ competition and recipient of $1 million from global health leader Abbott to advance student and community health in several key areas across Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Athletics.
“This generous grant will allow us to meet more students where they are more quickly than we thought possible,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor. “From strengthening students’ physical and mental health to building social connection and developing leadership skills, the resources we will be able to develop and grow will touch many corners of community life on campus.”
Leading the charge were UW student ambassadors Kate Hopkins x’26 and Annali Wainer x’27, who coordinated the campus-wide campaign and rallied the Badger community to donate.
“As a student going into the health sciences, seeing the prize money being allocated to programs that promote student well-being is extremely meaningful,” Wainer said. “These initiatives will have a lasting impact on the health of students mentally, physically, and socially, directly supporting them in their undergraduate journeys.”
Hopkins echoed the sentiment, adding, “Future Badgers will walk onto a campus that’s healthier and more connected than ever before. And these improvements are a lasting reflection of what our community made possible by choosing to show up.”
Funds from the competition will support the following programs and initiatives.
Challenge Course — UW–Madison’s challenge course — an experiential-learning tool for team building and leadership development — is part of Recreation & Wellbeing’s Adventure Learning Programs (ALPs). More than 2,000 students annually experience the ropes course, which is currently located in Stoughton, Wis., about a 30-minute commute from campus. Funds will be used to build a new challenge course on campus, where students already live, learn, and play.
Peer Wellness Programs — Connecting with and learning from peers creates new opportunities for students to grow. Extending training to peer student mentors in key areas such as sleep, stress, violence prevention, alcohol and drug safety, and more, will enhance broad prevention efforts. This includes investments in Wellness Coaching, where student interest has grown to hundreds of participants in the past year. The peer programs will serve a range of students, including those who are first-generation, limited-income, athletes, fraternity and sorority members, students in registered student organizations, and more.
Wisconsin ArtsRx — The Wisconsin Union Theater will pilot an arts and well-being initiative in the 2026–27 season, which will feature a series of concerts centered on supporting student health and wellness. The concerts will be modeled after Carnegie Hall’s Well-Being Concerts, which use mixed methods research and arts evaluation to create physiological, psychological, social, and educational benefits for audience members and all involved with the program.
Dining and Culinary Services Campus Farm — University Housing operates a 1.5-acre learning farm adjacent to Eagle Heights Community Gardens. During the growing season, the farm engages students, classes, tours, and volunteer groups, while providing fresh, locally grown produce to UW–Madison’s residential dining program. New equipment and sheltered structures will extend the growing season, expanding the farm’s capacity to supply fresh produce to dining halls and advance student health with access to wholesome, sustainably grown food.
Student Grants
- Health Research — RISE-THRIVE invests in research projects that seek to improve the human health span and will be adding grants for student-led projects with the new funding.
- Student Organizations — Student Affairs will administer a series of grants for registered student organizations that propose initiatives with direct benefit to student health and well-being.
- Student-Athlete Leadership & Wellbeing — In partnership with the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, funding will support an offsite leadership and well-being retreat for student-athletes. The program will focus on wellness, dialogue, and community-building that strengthens trust and shared purpose.
Representatives from Abbott and the Big Ten visited UW–Madison on March 4, 2026, to learn about student and community health efforts at UW–Madison and the initiatives that the $1 million prize money will support.
“We are deeply grateful to Abbott and the Big Ten for their partnership and belief in the power of community to make a meaningful difference and create lasting change,” Reesor said.
Student Affairs at UW–Madison is dedicated to supporting the whole student by enhancing their learning, building community, and fostering their well-being. For more information, visit students.wisc.edu