Bucky Warms Up for Day of the Badger 2024

Bucky is about to get a workout! The fifth annual Day of the Badger is going to be special. Why?

During the first-ever Bucky’s Push-Up Challenge, Wisconsin’s favorite badger will do one push-up for every 10 gifts received between noon and 1 p.m. on April 16. Students, alumni, and friends of UW–Madison are invited to Union South to watch the fun, hosted by 105.5 Triple M’s Jonathan Suttin ’90. Attendees can also spin the prize wheel to score UW swag and enter for a chance to win Apple AirPods by making a thank-you video.

There’s also a campus “Bucky hunt.” Ten Bucky squishy plush pillows will be hidden around campus on Tuesday, April 16. Each Bucky is assigned a gift value, and the finder gets to decide where that money goes! Just check @WisAlumni’s stories on Instagram for updates and clues. Finders can take a picture with their Bucky and send @WisAlumni a DM on Instagram to choose what area of campus the gift will go.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, Day of the Badger features virtual and in-person events, bringing alumni and friends of UW–Madison together to raise critical funds to help the university remain a world-class educational institution. Badgers everywhere are encouraged to give. Gifts of any size add up and make a difference.

There are more than 150 areas of campus participating in Day of the Badger this year, including schools, colleges, departments, and campus causes. UW alumni and friends are encouraged to give to any and all causes they are passionate about. These areas can be found at dayofthebadger.org.

Thanks to available matching gifts, contributions during Day of the Badger could unlock additional resources for UW–Madison.

Alumni and friends are encouraged to share their enthusiasm and support for the UW on their social channels, using the hashtag #DayoftheBadger. 

Day of the Badger stats for the past five years: