The annual ‘I Hate Winter’ Weekend at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., just wrapped up, and as part of the festivities, 3M partnered with the school’s athletic department to “light up Wachs Arena maroon” on Saturday, Feb. 9.  It’s similar to 3M’s promotion with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, when guests temporarily adhered 3M translucent film to their smartphone flashlights and made the darkened stadium glow purple. 

This was the first promotion of its kind at the collegiate level. 3M donated 4,000 pieces of maroon translucent film that were handed out to fans when the NSU Wolves men’s and women’s basketball teams took on – and were victorious over – Southwest Minnesota State. 

“The ‘light up Wachs Arena maroon’ event was an amazing success,” said NSU Director of Athletics Josh Moon. “To see our fans sharing a unified moment shining maroon lights was very cool and helped create an electric atmosphere. We are so thankful for our great partner 3M who made this promotion happen!” In an article posted on the NSU Athletics website, 3M Aberdeen Plant Manager Allen Chasteen said, “This is a great opportunity for 3M Aberdeen to partner with Northern State University to play to two of 3M's core strengths - our culture of science and innovation, and our commitment to be involved in  our community.”

The 3M Aberdeen plant employs nearly 700 people and has been quite involved with its hometown college in recent years, primarily on the academic end – for example, securing a $25,000 3M grant to help support a new regional science center at NSU. Other initiatives include helping build a specialized supply chain program as part of the school’s master’s degree program. 

It’s a win-win for 3M Aberdeen and NSU, according to Chasteen. “It’s a strong partnership we have here. We need to hire salaried employees, and NSU needs to place graduating students in jobs. We are looking to create a path for 3M employees for many years to come,” he says.