The Fill the Hill fundraiser is set for October 1-2

MADISON, WI (September 23, 2026) — For the 14th year, Bascom Hill will be transformed into a sea of pink flamingos when the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) holds its annual Fill the Hill event.

Fill the Hill is the largest day-of-giving initiative during the university’s fall annual campaign and coincides with UW-Madison’s Homecoming week. Donors have the opportunity to participate on many different levels:

For each gift of $5 or more, a plastic pink flamingo will be placed on Bascom Hill.
For gifts of $100 or more, donors can receive one mini flamingo (one mini per donor).
For each gift of $350 or more, donors will receive a mini flamingo and a full-size flamingo.
Donors can bring their receipt to Bascom Hill and plant their own flamingo in the grass.

Every gift received during Fill the Hill provides critical support for the university’s most immediate needs, helping UW-Madison to maintain its excellence in education. More than 100 areas of campus are participating in Fill the Hill this year. UW alumni and friends are encouraged to give to any and all funds they are passionate about.

Over the past 13 years of Fill the Hill, more than 25,000 gifts have been made, raising nearly $5 million. Donors set a record last year, raising $784,687 through 4,610 individual gifts.

Flamingos became a symbol of UW-Madison’s unique spirit in 1979, when students from the Pail and Shovel student political organization planted more than 1,000 of the plastic birds on Bascom Hill (1,008 birds, to be exact). Bringing back the flamingos is a powerful way to unify alumni and friends, inspiring support for the university’s mission and the UW for future generations.

WHAT: Fill the Hill

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026

5 p.m.

Call for donations begins

Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

5 a.m.

Flamingos begin to appear on Bascom Hill

7 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Place your own flamingo on Bascom Hill (with a gift receipt)

11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Flamingle on Bascom Hill with activities and giveaways

5 p.m.