Ignite Ole Miss Continues to Benefit University

Crowdfunding site has generated nearly $2.1 million to date

Alumni and friends helped raise more than $2.1 million dollars for univeristy projects through Ignite Ole Miss. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Alumni and friends helped raise more than 2.1 million dollars for university projects through Ignite Ole Miss. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

OXFORD, Miss. – To date, the University of Mississippi has received almost $2.1 million through the UM Foundation’s online grassroots fundraising site, Ignite Ole Miss, enabling students and faculty to continue to improve their world.

In the past fiscal year, Ignite Ole Miss has supported the following projects:

  • The Charles Reagan Wilson Student Support Fund honors retired UM professor Charles Reagan Wilson by supporting research projects of graduate students in the departments of History and Southern studies. More than $28,300 was contributed by 186 donors.
  • The UM Compost Program converts campus food waste into nutrient-rich garden soil. Financial support keeps this environmentally friendly program in operation. More than $2,000 was contributed by 49 donors.
  • The MBA Cups Program is a student-created initiative that provides funding to the UM Horizons children’s learning program. More than $1,100 was contributed by 52 donors.
  • The Rebels for Haiti 2016 initiative supported the Ole Miss football family’s return to Haiti to distribute clean water to those in need. More than $24,300 was contributed by 135 donors.
  • The Pamela E. Hamilton Memorial Fund honors the late writer and editor of The Daily Mississippian by supporting a Meek School of Journalism and New Media lecture and scholarship. Future students in the Meek School will benefit from this project for which more than $31,900 was raised by 190 donors.
  • The Jackelyn K. and Christopher F. Byrd Memorial Scholarship will support students in the Patterson School of Accountancy. The Kulzer and Byrd families created the endowment to honor Jackie and Chris, a young married couple who died with other family members in a plane crash on their way to watch Chris’ brother graduate from Ole Miss last year. More than $81,200 was contributed by 342 donors.
  • Ole Miss for Togo helped send Ole Miss Engineers Without Borders to West Africa, where they completed a water supply project for a children’s hospital in the Akoumape Village of Togo. More than $36,500 was raised by 101 donors.
  • The Ole Miss Class of 2016 Legacy Gift is a senior class project designed to fund the installation of three flag poles and an enclave on the plaza of The Pavilion at Ole Miss. More than $10,700 was raised by 851 donors.
  • The Army ROTC Third Annual Egg Bowl Run helped the Ole Miss Army ROTC program fund future projects and provide scholarships to Army officers in need. More than $5,300 was contributed by 30 donors.
  • The Fenton Kottkamp Memorial Scholarship will support students in the School of Business Administration and the Patterson School of Accountancy. The John Schnatter and Archie Manning families created the endowment to pay tribute to the life of Fenton Kottkamp, an Ole Miss student who died last year while sledding near campus. More than $80,600 was contributed by 261 donors.
  • The Ole Miss Food Bank initiative helped the organization raise the funding needed to start stocking fresh produce and frozen meats for members of the UM community. More than $3,200 was contributed by 46 donors.
  • The Ole Miss Family Emergency Fund provides micro-grants to students facing unexpected personal crises and who are in need of financial support. More than $32,200 was raised for this program by 122 donors.

To see how you can help, visit http://www.ignite.olemiss.edu