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The flamingos have flown away …
… but they’ll be back October 1-2, 2026!
All the flamingos from Fill the Hill 2025 have been mailed out. If you didn’t receive yours or have any flamingo-related questions, please email annualgiving@supportuw.org.
The Hilarious History of Fill the Hill
As the 1979–80 school year was about to begin, members of the now-famous 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 (WFAA).