Trojans give back through service and support

September 26, 2025

Dakota State Trojans gathered together on Thursday, Sept. 25 to serve, support, and celebrate through service projects in the Madison community and to donate to scholarship funds.

A total of 968 students, faculty, and staff contributed 2,814 service hours to more than 49 projects in Madison this year. Now in its 10th year overall, Day of Service activities have cumulated 23,907 hours of service since the program was implemented, with 7,605 Trojans giving back in that timeframe.

Trojan family members assisted with cleanups around town, worked with local business owners and organizations like Unique Boutique, Prairie Village, Smith-Zimmermann Museum, Domestic Violence Safe House, and ICAP.

"The drive to give back is strong within our Trojan community," said Mandy Hendrix, director of student engagement and leadership. "The enthusiasm and energy from our students, faculty, and staff amazes me every year. We heard from one community member that a specific project accomplished by Trojans in one afternoon would've taken them a month to complete. This is one of my favorite days of the year, and I know I am not alone."

More than 1,900 donors have given over $200,000 online to support 23 different areas, including athletics, academics, clubs, research, and more. Both total donors and donations are an all-time high for Trojans Give Back, which included donations from 44 states and five countries (not including the United States). New for 2025 was the Donuts for Dollars campaign on campus, which raised $5,122.

"Trojans Give Back is larger than just one day; it's the embodiment of DSU's spirit of giving in support of our students,' said Dalton Kleinschmidt, annual giving and communication officer. "We're grateful to our donors and DSU supporters from across the globe who make a difference in the lives of Trojans."

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