34th annual I Love ISU activities peak Sept. 12-15

The callers will be active from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last year, more than 900 donors raised $212,000 in scholarships that went to 278 students, all Idaho residents. I Love ISU’s goal this year is to raise $225,000. Calling teams consist of community members and ISU faculty and staff.

The 34th annual I Love ISU campaign will end Sept. 15 with an After Hours Celebration open to university and community members from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Portneuf Wellness Center. The event will feature drawings, brats, potato salad and complimentary beverages.  The After Hours is sponsored by Watkins Distributing and Portneuf Health Trust, Inc., and catered by The Sand Trap. Kelly Martinez will DJ.

In addition, on Sept. 14, the McDonalds on Fifth Street in Pocatello will donate 20 percent of its proceeds collected between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to I Love ISU.

“We’ve had phenomenal support so far, including gifts for more than $53,000 by ISU senior administrators and ISU Foundation Board members, and we’re looking to our supporters in the communities that we’re calling now to continue the momentum,” said Mary Vagner, I Love ISU chair, and former superintendent for Pocatello/Chubbuck School District No. 25. “We’re thankful for everyone who has supported us, and invite you to come join us at our celebration on Sept. 15 at the Wellness Center.”

The campaign co-chairs are Steven Muse, Idaho Power, Southeast Regional customer relations manager, and John Azzola, Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce, director of marketing and communications.

Money donated to the I Love ISU Scholarship Fund goes to scholarships for Idaho residents, but gifts can also be designated to any area on campus. The four-year average annual I Love ISU scholarship is $1,513.

The I Love ISU scholarship campaign has a rich history in Southeast Idaho. Originated in 1982 by business leaders with the goal of keeping Idaho's best students in Idaho communities, this campaign continues to support Bengal students through scholarship dollars.

The pioneers of the I Love ISU campaign, the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce, understood the economic impact of an educated workforce and what it means to keep our local students in this great state. As a result, the campaign has grown into the most recognizable fundraising effort at Idaho State. I Love ISU now extends beyond the ISU flagship campus in Pocatello and throughout Bengal nation with fundraising efforts in Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Chubbuck, ​Pocatello and Meridian.       

Donors can also visit www.iloveisu.org to donate online or for more information on the program.