Purdue Athletics and the John Purdue Club have officially concluded the Forging Ahead campaign, raising more than $21 million from over 2,000 gifts to support championship-caliber recruiting, retention, and student-athlete development across all 18 Boilermaker sport programs.

Purdue Athletics raised $9.5 million from a record 3,232 gifts during Purdue Day of Giving 2025, contributing to Purdue University’s $105.1 million total from a record-breaking 36,875 gifts. The day also marked the successful close of the Forging Ahead campaign, further strengthening support for Boilermaker student-athletes.

Beginning Purdue Day of Giving 2025, donors can now earn John Purdue Club priority points by giving to any unit across Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, including Purdue University in Indianapolis. This expansion supports the goals of Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue and creates new ways for Boilermakers to give back while moving up the priority point ladder.

Purdue Athletics and the John Purdue Club proudly announce the naming of the EMPOWER program within Boilermakers’ Student-Athlete Development, made possible by a transformative gift from Tim and Wendy Connors in memory of Tim’s sister, Margaret “Marti” Connors.

This year’s Purdue Day of Giving, held April 24, shattered records for Purdue Athletics. After the historic run by the Purdue men’s basketball team to the national title game, which followed the squad winning the regular season Big Ten Championship for the second consecutive year, Purdue Day of Giving offered Boilermaker fans an opportunity to commemorate the team’s season and bolster the entire department’s unprecedented momentum. The Boilermaker community together raised more than $13 million for Purdue student-athletes with record participation of more than 2,700 gifts.

As a result of the John Purdue Club’s Forging Ahead fundraising campaign, Purdue Athletics announced Wednesday the first-ever Boilermakers Beyond Borders travel program.