“Fill the Hill,” one of University of Wisconsin’s largest philanthropic traditions, will kick off at 5 p.m. Oct. 9 for the 2025 homecoming week. The Fill the Hill fundraising event represents the Badger alumni network who give back to the university.

Fill the Hill pays homage to a student prank that took place in 1979-80 school year, when members of the UW student government filled up Bascom Hill with 1,008 pink lawn flamingos, according to the Fill the Hill website. The prank grew into a fundraising effort in which private donors give back to various university programs and departments.

To participate in Fill the Hill 2025, individuals make a donation to any department or school of their choice and receive a flamingo to put on the hill, according to the website. Alumni, students, and friends are encouraged to send a contribution to a department or school of their choosing in order to support funding for the university, senior director of the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association Tod Pritchard said.  

“Last year, we raised about a half million dollars,” Pritchard said. “It’s really a pick your own adventure kind of thing … we have over 100 different campus units that are participating in Fill the Hill this year,”.

Donations go toward campus initiatives such as the Chancellors Fund, which focuses on cross-campus programs, research initiatives and student initiatives. Other donations can be made to various schools, colleges and various other programs at UW. Gifts of $100 or more will receive a small flamingo, while larger gifts of $350 or more receive a full size flamingo, according to the website.

In the midst of public academic funding cuts, Fill the Hill will certainly help bridge the gap for programs that are seeing financial cuts. Donations will go toward research, cross-campus services, and student initiatives, Pritchard said.

“This is a more challenging year than any, the university has gone through budget cuts they had to deal with,” Pritchard said.

Fill the Hill not only connects a network of alumni, family, and friends of the university, but it is also a fun addition to homecoming week and the school’s culture, according to Pritchard. 

Students can walk past Bascom Hill on Thursday and Friday and be a part of photo-ops, giveaways, and have a chance to see Bucky Badger. 

“The looks on people’s faces,” Pritchard said. “The joy that [the event] brings is just tremendous.”