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UVic’s United Way campaign has the taste of a race this year. On Sept. 26, the annual kick-off event started with burgers at the campus BBQ, two weeks after a friendly competitive challenge was issued by Royal Roads University to UVic and Camosun College. Of the three post-secondary institutions, one will be declared the ultimate winner for the largest overall increase in donor participation this year.
Clint Hamilton, director of athletics and recreation, is heading UVic’s 2007 campaign steering committee and he knows how worthwhile this particular race will be.
“As we like to say in sporting terms, ‘the game is on,’” says Hamilton. “And the real winners will be Greater Victoria’s community members who rely on United Way funding for any number of invaluable services, such as emergency shelter and housing for the homeless and working poor, assistance with mental health and addiction, and projects for community well-being including ‘Big Buddy’ programs and literacy initiatives.”
In the coming weeks, various fund-raising events will be held across campus to get the word out in hopes of sending the red line right out of the top of the thermometer this year.
Departments and associations are encouraged to come up with creative informal competitions among departments or groups on campus to boost donations. For instance, the history department challenged all other departments to roll as many pennies as possible during the 2004 campaign, and penny jars started filling up all over campus; others have held raffles or staged events in the past.
Stay tuned to the UVic 2007 United Way website at http://
unitedway.uvic.ca/. And feel free to send information about any new fund-raising initiatives to UVic United Way co-op student Monica Roberge at mroberge@uvic.ca for posting on the website. The campaign will run until December.
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