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The flamingos have flown away …
Fill the Hill is coming back — but the flamingos can’t land without you! Starting at 5 p.m. on October 1, every gift the UW receives will add to our “fla-mazing” pink flamingo flock on Bascom Hill. Mark your calendar now for this fabulous, feathery tradition — and help ensure that UW–Madison remains a world leader in education, research, and innovation for generations to come!
Want to bring the flamingo flamboyance home? When you give $350 or more, you’ll qualify to receive your own full-sized lawn flamingo and mini flamingo. You can also give $100 or more to qualify for just the mini.
The Hilarious History of Fill the Hill
As the 1979–80 school year was about to begin, members of the Pail and Shovel Party came up with an idea: to welcome incoming students (and give them a preview of the silly side of college life) with a sea of 1,008 pink plastic flamingos on Bascom Hill. Why 1,008? Because they wanted to say they put out “more than a thousand,” and the flamingos only came in packs of 12.
In 2023, former Pail and Shovel president Jim Mallon ’79 and party member Stu Baker ’80 shared the story of how that absurd idea led to an iconic moment that is re-created every year with the Fill the Hill event, sponsored by the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.