Western Illinois University is launching a new donor engagement campaign, “Pick the Pair,” to build excitement leading into The Western Challenge Day of Giving on Friday, April 24.
The interactive campaign invites donors and supporters to vote for their favorite WIU sock designs with gifts of $5 or more. Each contribution counts as a vote in a bracket-style competition featuring eight original sock designs. The designs advance based on the total dollars raised, and the final winning design will be announced in March.
“Every vote supports the WIU Founders Scholarship, providing critical support to students with financial need who are just one to three semesters from graduation, helping them finish strong and earn their degree,” said Tim Hallinan, WIU director of annual giving.
The winning sock design will become the official Giving Day sock and will be distributed to donors who contribute $75 or more during The Western Challenge Day of Giving on April 24. Funds raised through the campaign will support a designated area of impact at WIU.
Pick the Pair is designed to make participation fun, accessible, and meaningful, allowing donors to help shape one of the Western Challenge’s most popular traditions.
The campaign timeline is:
- Round 1: Feb. 1–14.
- Round 2: Feb. 15–28.
- Final Round: March 1–14.
- Winning design announced: March.
Participants in “Pick the Pair” are also invited to continue their impact on April 24 during The Western Challenge Day of Giving. For more information, visit here.
