West Virginia University kicked off its 2013 United Way campaign on Sept. 23 with a goal of $340,000.
WVU head baseball coach Randy Mazey will serve as the chair for the 31st annual campaign. This year’s theme is “1 United Way to Give.” The campaign, which last eight weeks, will wrap up on Nov. 15.
“I am honored to serve as the chair for West Virginia University’s 2013 United Way campaign,” Mazey said. “I am a firm believer in always giving back and this is an opportunity to help the state and University that has welcomed my family with open arms.”
Employees will be able to pledge via paper forms available in each unit. You can also attend various fundraisers across campus throughout the campaign.
All contributions for WVU’s United Way campaign stay local, as the money raised helps support 52 unique programs in 30 partnering agencies. The staffs and volunteers of those agencies work tirelessly to address the issues associated with lower incomes, illness, illiteracy, domestic violence, homelessness and affordable childcare in Monongalia and Preston Counties. The agencies, however, do not have the resources to carry out elaborate fundraising campaigns of their own and rely heavily on additional funding.
The entire campaign’s goal Monongalia and Preston Counties is more than $1.5 million. WVU would like to gather more than one-fifth of the funds with the $340,000 goal.
“Each year at this this time, the WVU family takes the opportunity to collectively show the importance of our partnership with the surrounding community. It is hard sometimes for us to know exactly what is needed in the area; the United Way provides the ability to give money that will then be distributed to programs that are developed each year based on our community needs,” said Dr. Kristi Wood-Turner director of WVU’s Center for Service and Learning.
WVU’s donations help provide:
• 19,000 nights of shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness
• 50,695 prescriptions for uninsured individuals
• 5,288 hours of one-on-one mentoring for children
• 2,444 hot meals at local soup kitchen
To help raise money for the United Way campaign, students are selling official “Gold Rush” t-shirts for the annual “Gold Rush” football game, which will be Sept. 28 against Oklahoma State. These shirts are $10 and will be available at several locations across campus. For sale locations, go to http://unitedway.wvu.edu/goldrush.
“Students are innovative, excited and full of inspiration. We are thrilled that the commitment from our student body through the SGA continues to grow with each campaign,” Wood-Turner said.
In addition, WVU will hold a four-mile run/walk called “Mountaineers Run United” on Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. The run/walk will start in front of the Milan Puskar Stadium and finish outside the Mountainlair. Pre-registration deadline is Oct. 25 at http://unitedway.wvu.edu/5k-walkrun. Registration will also be possible on the day of the event in front of the Mountainlair.
Last year, WVU raised a record $335,100 for the campaign. WVU is the largest contributor to the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties with more than 1,400 contributors annually. WVU’s United Way campaign began in 1982 and has been conducted each year since. For five straight years, the University’s United Way campaign has been recognized as the “Best of the Best” by the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties. The honor is given to the campaign that truly lives the United Way’s message, which is to “give, advocate, volunteer and live united.”
-WVU-
td/09/25/13
CONTACT: Theresa Joslin, Office of Service & Learning
304.293.8348, Theresa.Joslin@mail.wvu.edu
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