In the past six months, UW-Eau Claire has received three $500,000 donations through Fulfilling the Promise of Excellence, a campaign dedicated to raising $50 million by the end of next year.

The most recent donation was made by David and Marilyn Karlgaard. Their donation of $500,000 came just four years after their 2002 donation of $4.5 million, part of which was used to create the Karlgaard Computer Science Scholarship Fund.

David Karlgaard, a 1967 graduate of Eau Claire, now lives in Virginia with his wife, Marilyn, who attended Eau Claire from 1965 to 1968.

“(I was) just so humbled by the fact that people that attended this school in the 1960s had always had it in their mind that . they would give to UW-Eau Claire,” said Carole Halberg, UW-Eau Claire Foundation president.

The Karlgaards’ donation will be used to aid the computer science department, with some of the money going towards student scholarships.

Michael Wick, chair of the computer science department, said he is unsure how much money will go towards scholarships.

In the past, about $70,000 usually went toward scholarships, and the money typically benefits between 12 and 14 students a year, he said.

Freshman Andrew Dietzel received a $3,000 Karlgaard Computer Science Scholarship this year.

“I think it’s just amazing that (the Karlgaards) are willing to give back,” Dietzel said, adding the donations made by the Karlgaards will greatly benefit the computer science department and attract more students to the program.

Ann Thornburg, a 1971 graduate of Eau Claire, and Vicki Lord Larson, who served as interim chancellor last year, both contributed $500,000 that the university will receive after their deaths.

The original goal of the Fulfilling the Promise of Excellence campaign, which began in 2000, involved raising $35 million in five years.

Halberg said that by 2002, the school had already raised $18 million in donations and had surpassed its goal of $35 million more than a year before the anticipated deadline.

Because of the success of the campaign, Halberg said the school decided to increase the quota. The current goal of the campaign is to raise $50 million by the end of 2007.

Halberg said the campaign has made her realize how grateful graduates are of the education they received from Eau Claire.

“The people who attended and graduated from Eau Claire are happy with the education they received here and are willing to give back.”