Ahead of the University of Georgia and Auburn University going head-to-head on the football field on Saturday, the universities are competing off the field to raise money for their students during Beat Week from Oct. 3 through 8.

This year, the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will concentrate efforts on the college’s student emergency fund, which offers one-time limited financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students who have immediate expenses they cannot pay because of temporary hardship.

Along with the CAES Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the CAES Student Philanthropy Council is leading this year’s fundraising efforts for the college and hopes to contribute to a third consecutive Beat Week win over Auburn.

Madison Ristroph, a member of the Student Philanthropy Council, said she looks forward to Beat Week because it’s always a fun time on campus and she enjoys raising money for a good cause.

“The student emergency fund will go towards helping fellow students whenever they hit hard times and need things like a new tire or an emergency flight home,” Ristroph said. “This fund is especially exciting because students can help other students during their time at UGA and continue to give back to students once they graduate. Everyone needs a little help sometimes and this fund is set up specifically for that!"

Every donation counts separately for the challenge, so donors can support multiple funds and have each gift count separately by splitting their full donation into multiple smaller gifts. Gifts made any time from Monday, Oct. 3, until midnight Saturday, Oct. 8, will count toward the total.

Donations can be made on the Beat Week website, and the donation can be directed towards the CAES emergency student fund using the dropdown menu. Everyone is welcome to participate, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, parents and fans.

For more information, contact the CAES Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 706-542-8819 or caesdar@uga.edu.