UMD News Releases

DULUTH, MN – University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Heroes committee members are working to grow the Heroes Fund to help benefit UMD students who are veterans, active service members, active Reservists and National Guard members who may need financial support as they return to school and transition back into civilian life. The goal is to raise an additional $25,000 to allow fulltime, undergraduate students who attend any UMD program to become eligible to apply for a scholarship. Currently the fund is only available to those who attend the College of Education and Human Service Professions.

Beginning Monday, March 1 military-style UMD Heroes dog tags may be purchased for $5 each at UMD Stores and Holiday Stationstores throughout the Duluth area with all proceeds benefiting the Heroes Fund. These dog tags may be taken to or purchased at the Heroes fund event on Thurs., April 24 at 4:30 pm at Clyde Ironworks, 2920 W Michigan St, Duluth, Minn. Individuals may purchase more than one dog tag as each will have a unique number to be entered into a drawing for a prize. Participants must be present to win.

“We truly have an opportunity to grow the Heroes Fund to a capacity that will better serve veterans and active military members who attend the University of Minnesota Duluth,” said Rick Smith, a Heroes committee member. “Selling dog tags is a great way for us to put military heroes at the forefront of people’s minds, to remind them of the sacrifice they’ve made on behalf of our country, and it gives them a chance to obtain a supplemented quality education.”

For more information about the Heroes Fund event, visit http://d.umn.edu/hero/.

About the Scholarship

The UMD Heroes Scholarship was established by two anonymous donors who are not veterans, but whose fathers, several uncles, one aunt, two sisters, one brother, three brother-in-laws and several cousins were veterans, and who, in the words of one, said, "I don't think we do enough for our vets. We are very grateful for the freedom we enjoy each and everyday. Everything we have, we owe to our veterans; we have a responsibility to give back for the sacrifices they made for our freedom." The scholarship committee is made up of individuals who are veterans and non-veterans, while the scholarship selection subcommittee consists of all veterans.