UIU Team Peacock hits $500,000 scholarship goal during 6th year of riding RAGBRAI
Upper Iowa University President Alan G. Walker gets ready to begin the trek across Iowa as part of RAGBRAI after announcing that Team Peacock has hit its six-year goal of raising $500,000 for scholarships for UIU students.
FAYETTE, Iowa (July 26, 2010)—Upper Iowa University Team Peacock has reached its goal of raising $500,000 for UIU scholarships. UIU President Alan G. Walker made the announcement that the team’s six-year participation had hit the mark just before the team of riders and support crew took off from the UIU campus this weekend to travel to Sioux City for the start of The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI).
“Since 2005, we have been calling on corporate sponsors, alumni, faculty, staff and students to support our students by backing Team Peacock for RAGBRAI and contributing to the UIU scholarship fund,” Walker said. “Once again, our supporters have surpassed the previous year’s efforts and helped us meet our goal. We are grateful for all they have contributed over the past six years to help us raise $500,000 and help our students achieve their dreams. We look forward to raising the bar next summer when UIU Team Peacock rides again.”
Walker is leading Team Peacock across the state throughout RAGBRAI this week and will ride with the team until they dip their bike tires in the Mississippi River in Dubuque on Saturday. More than 30 riders are making the route with Walker on behalf of UIU students, with logistical support from the UIU Blue Crew.
“Team Peacock is much more than just our riders,” Walker added. “We have support on campus throughout the year as well as during the week, and we have a dedicated support crew who comes with the Team to make sure we get what we need to complete the ride safely. We also are grateful to the alumni who support us along the route and who visit the UIU booth in the mid-day and overnight towns, and to the alumni and friends who open their homes and yards to provide us with a place to sleep each night.”
Regular updates about the progress of Team Peacock are posted online at www.uiu.edu/teampeacock/ where you can follow the team blog, catch up on Facebook, or read President Walker’s updates on Twitter. You also can listen to President Walker on the radio each weekday morning during RAGBRAI week at 8:50 a.m. on ROCK 108 and 9:08 a.m. on KOEL-AM. Or see Team Peacock photos and video on Flickr (http://www.facebook.com/upperiowauniversity).
Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu
About Upper Iowa University
Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to over 6,600 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.