May 20, 2010
Drink coffee and support the UW at the same time
The next time you purchase one of those cards that can be used repeatedly for satisfying your coffee habit, you have an opportunity to support the UW.
Every time a UW-licensed reusable Starbucks card is purchased, the UW receives a licensing fee of 50 cents from each card to support UW’s general operations and Intercollegiate Athletics.
The agreement is the outgrowth of a long-standing relationship between the company and athletics, said Leslie Wurzburger, associate director of Trademarks and Licensing. The reusable card, available in many Starbucks locations near campus, carries a distinctive UW emblem.
“Our Starbucks card team was looking for something special we could do in Seattle that our customers would really enjoy,” said Kris Engskov, Starbucks Pacific Northwest regional vice president. “We thought it’d be a fun way to allow our local customers — and partners which is what we call our employees — who are UW fans to show their school pride.”
This is the first school-themed card the company has offered. Right now, it’s considered a one-time venture will supplies of the card last. Engskov reports that the cards are going fast.
