The university achieved their 4,700 goal after checks and cash donations were counted (4,727 alumni/student donors for $1,175,410).

The top three returning funds were all from Rice Athletics (based on participation rate growth)! Rice Soccer took the first place price of $2,000. Women’s Basketball won $1,000, and Men’s Tennis won $500.

Quote: YOU DID IT! 4,727 OWL DONORS

It took some time to track down every single gift across campus, and WOW! Amazingly, 4,727 alumni and students made a gift on April 7, exceeding the 4,700 donor goal!

Your contributions unlocked an additional $250,000 donation from Chuck Whitten ’99 and Lori Rudge Whitten ’98 to need-based scholarships through The Rice Investment. In total, the Challenge raised more than $2 million, including gifts and challenge dollars that will maintain and promote an unparalleled Rice experience, enhance residential college life, support graduate students and more.

A special shoutout to Rice students, who came in clutch with a late surge that helped put us over the top! Overall, 474 students made a gift to the challenge yesterday, including more than 160 seniors from the Class of 2022 who made a gift during Senior Pint Night!

Here’s a glimpse of how Rice alumni and students made an impact during yesterday’s Challenge:

Duncan College won the college battle (and absolute bragging rights for the day).
The Rice community secured President Leebron and Y. Ping Sun’s full match of $100,000 toward a need-based scholarship endowment through The Rice Investment.
Rice Soccer had the highest participation growth for returning funds, and the newcomer fund winner was the Political Science Graduate Student Association.