The University of Wisconsin Foundation and Wisconsin Alumni Association (WFAA) broke a fundraising record during the 13th annual Fill the Hill, raising $737,849 in just 24 hours.
Each pink plastic flamingo placed on Bascom Hill represents a gift from a donor. This year, over 4,000 gifts were contributed to a variety of student causes, from funding honors and research programs to providing for the schools and colleges at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Comparatively, Fill the Hill raised $511,877 in 2024. In 2013, the first year of the fundraiser, the fundraiser received 640 pledges and donations. That number has now grown to over 25,000 donors throughout the years, raising roughly $4.5 million in total.
Fill the Hill started as a prank performed by Leon Varjian, a member of the Pail and Shovel student government dedicated to absurdity. In September 1979, Varjian purchased 1,008 flamingos and placed them on Bascom Hill in the early morning. By the afternoon, the flock of pink birds were picked off Bascom by students and could be seen around the city.
In 2013, the WFAA revived the flock on Bascom to inspire giving. It melds goodwill with the nonsensical influence of Varjian. Fill the Hill has grown into a way to honor the prankster-turned-philanthropist’s legacy.
Donors receive their own flamingo based on the amount they contribute: $100 for a mini flamingo; $350 for both a mini and full-sized flamingo. To place a flamingo on Bascom Hill requires a minimum donation of $5.
All donations go to different organizations at UW-Madison which get to decide what to do with the funds gifted to them.
“Contributions from Fill the Hill directly affect academic initiatives, scholarships, research and even student organizations,” The WFAA says, explaining that proceeds go to the university’s greatest financial needs in the face of budgeting obstacles.
“[Fill the Hill] is a wonderful way to celebrate some of what we’re doing here,” said UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin in an interview with WMTV15 News. “It’s kind of goofy, but fun. Just like we like to be here at Madison: excellent and a little bit goofy at the same time.”
