KEARNEY – Loper supporters Keith and Eileen Carpenter are providing a $50,000 challenge gift for student scholarships during the 2026 One Day for UNK at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The 24-hour giving day will take place from noon Thursday, Nov. 12, to noon Friday, Nov. 13.
If the sixth annual event reaches its goal of 2,200 gifts of $5 or more, the Carpenters’ scholarship challenge will be unlocked. In total, more than $450,000 in challenges and matching gifts have been offered by donors.
Big or small, every gift counts. Donations can be made online at givingday.unk.edu.
“Keith and I have been incredibly blessed, and one of the greatest joys for us is being able to give back and help create opportunities for students,” Eileen Carpenter said. “We believe in UNK, we believe in its students, and we believe there is something powerful about a community coming together to support them.”
The Carpenters, who reside in Parker, Colorado, are longtime backers of UNK and have supported scholarships for Loper students. Earlier this year, they received the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award, UNK’s highest honor.
“Keith and Eileen Carpenter have once again demonstrated their extraordinary commitment to UNK and our students,” UNK Chancellor Neal Schnoor said. “Their $50,000 challenge is a tremendous incentive to reach our goal of 2,200 gifts, and it reinforces something important about One Day for UNK. Every gift matters, regardless of size. When our Loper family comes together, that collective generosity creates opportunities that change students’ lives.”
In addition to scholarships, funds raised during the giving day will benefit UNK’s three colleges, Loper Athletics, the library and other initiatives to help students succeed.
Alumni and other supporters have created over 90 challenges and matching gifts to encourage others to give, including a $60,000 challenge to support UNK’s health science and rural health initiatives. Other challenges support the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business and Technology and Department of Teacher Education.
Schnoor and his wife, Teresa, are sponsoring several challenges, including one for student mental health resources.
“What is so inspiring about One Day for UNK is the generosity, breadth of support and the many ways people choose to make a difference,” he said. “With more than $450,000 in challenges and matching gifts, our alumni and supporters are investing in scholarships, academic excellence, rural healthcare, student well-being and so much more. These gifts are opening doors for students, strengthening our university and investing in Nebraska’s future.”
UNK senior Brodie Mitchell knows firsthand the benefits of scholarship support. A Cambridge native, Mitchell is a health science major and biology minor on the pre-medical track.
Support from multiple scholarships has helped him focus on his rigorous academic studies without having to balance a part-time job. As a result, he has fully embraced campus life, representing UNK as a member of the Chancellor’s Ambassadors. He was also recently named UNK’s 2026 homecoming king.
Of the scholarship support, Mitchell said: “It helped me to be so much more successful knowing I have the financial stability to dedicate my time to school, which is why I’m at UNK.”
Donors who make gifts totaling $75 or more will receive a limited-edition UNK umbrella by mail.
In 2025, One Day for UNK set records with 2,170 gifts totaling $389,737.
