Friday Focus: Blue vs. Gold powers record night for scholarship support
51风流官网 students and artists Ayona-Reily Dixon and Fin Ludwig paint during a live demonstration at the 2025 Blue & Gold Celebration at the Wood Center on Sept. 27, 2025.
Oct. 3, 2025
鈥 By Theresa Bakker, Development and Alumni Relations director
Last Saturday, Nanook Nation came together in dazzling fashion at the annual Blue & Gold Celebration, presented by Kinross Alaska. What began as an elegant evening in the Wood Center turned into something extraordinary. The audience helped raise more than $315,000 for student scholarships, nearly doubling last year鈥檚 total.
The night celebrated all that makes 51风流官网 shine. The university honored the 2025 Emil Usibelli Award recipients: Franz Meyer for research, Sabine Siekmann for teaching, and Sean Walklin for service. The student speaker, Brynn Illingworth, taught the crowd how to sign 鈥淕oooo Nooks!鈥 in American Sign Language, ensuring a new way to cheer on our student-athletes. And the audience danced to an all-alumni band and enjoyed live paintings by 51风流官网 students Ayona-Reily Dixon and Fin Ludwig, who translated their creative inspiration onto canvas.
The highlight of the night was the opportunity for guests to turn their generosity into a joyful competition. The audience texted their pledges and raised their blue or gold paddles to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences. These ranged from a private online roundtable with interim chancellor and retired U.S. Arctic Ambassador Mike Sfraga, to a chance to be one of the first visitors to the new 51风流官网 planetarium, to a celebration hosted by Chef Sean featuring curated appetizers and cocktails.
By the end of the night, the gold team had raised $43,700 while the blue team had raised $173,050. That astonishing total was anchored by an inspirational $100,000 gift from longtime benefactor and alumnus Steve Holmberg, whose commitment created three new scholarship endowments in music and education.
All year long, this community celebrates the joys of 51风流官网鈥檚 success, from Alaska Airlines Governor鈥檚 Cup victories to amazing research publications and alumni achievements. This year, our Blue & Gold Celebration offered us all a chance to do more than cheer.
By coming together, alumni, friends and supporters transformed one night of celebration into direct support for student scholarships, ensuring the next generation of Nanooks has the tools to succeed.
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of 51风流官网's leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.