Turlock entrepreneurs Matt and Maria Swanson, the well-known owners of Pet Extreme, recently made a $250,000 seed gift to establish the One Purpose endowment at California State University, Stanislaus.

The endowment will support the One Purpose annual fall fund drive aiming to raise $1 million in scholarships for high-achieving students.

“The goal of One Purpose is to keep our region’s best and brightest students right here in the Central Valley so that they can become our next generation of community and business leaders,” said CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley. “Matt and Maria Swanson have been friends of the University for many years, and this generous gift represents their very significant investment in the future of our students and our region.”

The fund drive is held from Aug. 28 to Oct. 9 and will organize more than 300 volunteers from the campus and community into 24 fundraising teams collectively working to reach the $1 million goal.

Matt Swanson was president of the CSU Stanislaus Foundation from 2008 to 2012.

“Running a business in today’s climate requires talent and training and an ability to adapt to technology,” Matt Swanson said. “Our family of companies have several CSU Stanislaus graduates in senior leadership roles. The university is the clear leader in the development and preparation of the Central Valley’s future workforce.”

Shirley Pok, CSU Stanislaus’ Vice President for University Advancement praised the Swanson’s gift.

“With this gift, the Swansons have planted a seed for the future growth of One Purpose while also serving to inspire our volunteers as they embark on the inaugural year of the campaign,” Pok said. “The direct impact of this investment is undeniable, but the wind it puts in the sails of everyone involved with One Purpose is just as critical to our mission of supporting student success.”