UNCF kicks off nation’s largest ‘Walk for Education’ season to support HBCUs and students

UNCF will host 14 Walk for Education events throughout the country, starting Aug. 2, 2025 including right here in Milwaukee

By William S. Gooden

Starting August 2, 2025, through October 18, 2025, the United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF) will be hosting 14 “Walk for Education” events throughout the country to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and help students journey to and through college, with a goal of raising $2-million for the organization.

These annual events aim to support UNCF’s mission of providing scholarships, internships and other resources to help students attend and graduate from college and for the 41st year in a row Milwaukee will be proudly hosting a UNCF Walk for Education.

Milwaukee’s walk (serving Wisconsin)

Milwaukee’s UNCF will host its landmark 41st Annual UNCF Walk for Education on Saturday, August 2, 2025. The walk will take place at Lakefront at Veterans Park, 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. The event kicks off with registration at 8 a.m.-9 a.m.; than a warm-up at 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.; and finally the walk/run starts off at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome to participate and celebrate with your family, friends and coworkers. You can participate solo, for a team, or join an existing team. Sign up now at mkeuncf.info and click on the Register Now button.

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,” said UNCF Chicago-Milwaukee Development Associate Latina Brooks, who is in charge of organizing the Milwaukee event.

This year UNCF is proud to announce former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, President Forward Together Wisconsin and Founder of The Long Run PAC Mandela Barnes as the Grand Champion for this year’s UNCF MKE’s Walk. Grand Marshals for the parade include some of Milwaukee’s business, nonprofit and education leaders: Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball; Grady Crosby, Northwestern Mutual Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; Rodrick Cureton, Manager Impact and Culture for the Milwaukee Bucks; Cecelia Gore, Executive Director of Brewers Community Foundation; Nina Johnson, U.S. Bank Vice President Wisconsin Branch Banking Market Leader; CBS58 News Morning Anchor Frankie Jupiter; and Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means..

“UNCF plays a critical role in securing educational opportunities for our young people,” said Barnes. “I’m honored and proud to work with UNCF to raise awareness and scholarship dollars supporting this generation of young people. Working together, we can all light the way to education.” This year’s UNCF Walk for Education season’s national sponsor is long-time UNCF supporter Colgate-Palmolive. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to contact their local UNCF office for sponsorship and other support opportunities.

Key features of the walks

• Fundraising: The primary goal of these walks is to raise funds to support UNCF’s programs and scholarships, enabling students to pursue higher education.
• Sponsorship opportunities: Individuals and organizations can participate by registering to walk, forming teams or becoming sponsors.
• Support for students: The funds raised through the walks help provide scholarships, internships and other resources to students, especially those attending HBCUs. Sixty percent of students supported by UNCF are the first in their families to attend college and 93 percent qualify for financial aid.

How to get involved

• Register to walk: Register for the UNCF Milwaukee Walk/Run at mkeuncf.info and click on the Register Now button.
• Form a team: Encourage friends, family or colleagues to join you in forming a team.
• Become a sponsor: Explore sponsorship opportunities to support the event and UNCF’s mission.
• Make a donation: Even if you can’t participate in person, you can donate to support the cause. Donations are tax deductible.

“I invite everyone to join UNCF in transforming futures whether you walk, run, cycle, or donate, your support directly empowers students and strengthens our nation’s HBCUs. Together, we can ensure that more students get to and through college.” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. UNCF Milwaukee invites everyone to join them and invest in a young, deserving student today. Let’s build better futures one step at a time.