KEARNEY – Loper supporters joined together in a stampede of support for the 2026 One Day for UNK, raising a record $745,194 over 24 hours to support the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It was the first time that the total raised during the giving day surpassed half a million dollars.
From noon Thursday to noon Friday, 2,666 gifts were received to support UNK students, its three colleges, Loper Athletics, the Loper Pantry, Calvin T. Ryan Library, UNK’s rural health initiatives and many other causes and priorities across the university.
Full results are available online at givingday.unk.edu.
“One Day for UNK is a powerful reminder of how much this university means to so many people,” Chancellor Neal Schnoor said. “I continue to be inspired by the generosity of our alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students and community partners. The energy and enthusiasm surrounding this event are truly special, and it’s exciting to see so many people come together to support our students and create opportunities for their success. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s campaign so memorable.”
Challenge and matching gifts helped propel One Day for UNK to new records. Both the amount raised and number of gifts set records.
Loper supporters Keith and Eileen Carpenter of Parker, Colorado, made a $50,000 challenge gift to fund student scholarships, which was unlocked when the giving day reached its goal of 2,200 gifts of $5 or more. In all, donors offered more than 90 challenges and matching gifts, totaling more than $450,000, to encourage others to give.
Student scholarships were an important priority of the sixth annual giving day.
Riley Batenhorst of Blair is a freshman pre-nursing student at UNK. He has benefited from the Carpenters’ generosity as a recipient of the Carpenter Nursing Scholarship. Batenhorst hopes to pursue a career in nursing, working in critical access hospitals in Nebraska, specifically as an ER nurse.
He expressed gratitude to the Carpenters.
“I was just so surprised to receive the scholarship,” Batenhorst said. “It’s been such a blessing and has provided peace of mind, knowing that these people have decided to help me. It’s nice knowing that the scholarship is there to help pay for my classes. Now, I can focus on my work and study without having to work all the time just to pay off my student loans.”
Kennedy Klimek is a junior elementary education major at UNK. The Burwell native is a recipient of a Dean’s Scholarship through UNK’s College of Education.
“Scholarship support has meant a lot to me,” Klimek said. “When you get that kind of support, you can be more involved on campus and graduate without much financial stress.”
Teaching has always been a passion for Klimek. As a high schooler, she would teach her younger siblings at home, turning their house into a big classroom. Those memorable moments, as well as the experiences of family members who were Lopers, made an impact on Klimek.
When it came time for Klimek to choose where to go to college, UNK was an easy choice.
“I’ve had a lot of relatives go to UNK, like my uncle and cousin. They went into education and absolutely loved it at UNK,” she said. “I got to see them succeed, and that’s what I want for my future. Kearney is not too big, not too small. The community is great, the professors are amazing, and you get to build relationships with your classmates.”
In 2025, One Day for UNK received 2,170 gifts totaling $389,737.
