Upper Iowa University has issued the challenge to raise one million dollars to fund student scholarships. UIU President Alan G. Walker announced the challenge to UIU alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends on September 21, 2010, as he launched the Team Peacock 2011 Scholarship Fund Drive.

UIU has been conducting the Team Peacock Scholarship Fund Drive each year since 2005, primarily by soliciting individual donor pledges and corporate sponsorships to support UIU Team Peacock’s participation in the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) – a 400-plus-mile bike ride that takes place annually in July. Each year the number of participating riders has increased as has the amount of funds they raised for the scholarship fund. Since 2005, Team Peacock has raised more than $500,000 for student scholarships.

ARAMARK, an international company that is the food service provider on UIU’s Fayette campus, has accepted the challenge and given UIU a $300,000 gift for the Team Peacock Scholarship Fund. The ARAMARK gift raises the six-year total to over $801,000.

"I challenge each UIU alumni, every member of the UIU community, and all of our UIU friends to support the educational goals of UIU students," said President Walker, who has led Team Peacock each year and completed every mile of RAGBRAI since 2005. "The ARAMARK gift puts our million dollar goal within reach this year. I know that in the same way that we find that extra kick to take us up the last hill during RAGBRAI, we can find in ourselves the extra momentum to complete this year’s fund drive successfully and meet our goal again."

Every dollar raised by the Team Peacock Scholarship Fund Drive supports UIU scholarships either short-term or by being invested to fund future scholarships, Walker said.

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