The purple "W" displayed on Washington license plates will add a new level of Husky pride this quarter.

The UW Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma are competing in the first tri-campus Drive with Pride Challenge.

All license plates sold with the purple "W" during winter quarter will be counted toward the total number of sales. The campus with the most sales will be awarded a traveling trophy and a victory celebration.

"It's about building UW pride," said UW Trademarks and Licensing director Kathy Hoggan. "It's like having thousands of billboards out there on the road. It shows people that you are affiliated with this institution."

For every license plate sold, $28 is donated to the UW General Scholarship Fund. Students, staff, and Husky fans alike are invited to show their school spirit while supporting current and future UW students.

"It's important from a standpoint of giving," said Hoggan.

"I think this competition has huge potential. It takes very little on our part to give deserving students the opportunity to an education. I really believe in that."

Washington state vehicle owners can purchase a UW plate for $30 online at www.uwlicenseplates.com. A downloadable application is available and needs to be taken to a local licensing office in order to be registered.

To be counted in the drive with Pride Challenge, vehicle owners need to return to the Web site after their purchase and register their number and campus affiliation.

The Web site for the license plate promotion also offers a portal for plate owners to send photos and stories about their UW license plates traveling the world. The vignettes will be featured throughout the competition.

The UW license plate logo was modified in March 2006 from the Husky dog logo to the more popular purple "W."

According to the "UW License Plates Status Report" from this month, sales soared from $9,500 to $17,001 between February and March of last year. Since then, the UW has sold over 1,500 plates.

Although UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are much smaller in comparison to the main campus, Hoggan says those campuses also have a high rate of students who commute by car, which translates to potential license plate customers.

"This is the first time we've had this competition," she said. "At first, people were worried about Seattle getting ahead in the competition because of size. What I've found is that there are a lot of students [at the Seattle campus] that take the bus and have on-campus housing. Commuting [students] have to travel via cars."

On a broader level, the "W" is falling behind the Cougar logo plates. Information from the Washington Department of Licensing revealed that in October 2006, there were 4,956 registered UW plates on the road versus Washington State University's 11,981 registered plates.

WSU scores the highest out of the seven Washington schools with special plates.

"I am kind of shocked by the fact that there are more WSU plates in Washington," said junior Sarah Thomas. "I feel that as a prided institution, we Huskies can do so much better in displaying school spirit and supporting our own education with the scholarship funds."

The Drive With Pride Challenge will run from now until the end of March, in hopes of raising funds while displaying the righteous purple and gold.

"This program has been fun for me because I have a 'W' on my car," said Hoggan. "People honk and wave at me all the time."

Reach reporter Vicky Yan at news@thedaily.washington.edu