Gators Give More Than $1 Million
This article was originally printed in the February 2006 issue of CLASnotes.
The 2005 University of Florida Community Campaign, themed “Gators Give in a Million Ways,” surpassed its $1 million goal by nearly $89,000, campaign officials recently announced. The new total also marks the first time the campaign, first launched in 1993, has topped $1 million. The official final figure is $1,088,952.94.Teresa Dolan, chair of the 2005 UF Community Campaign and dean of UF’s College of Dentistry, says the campaign exceeded her already high expectations. “The faculty and the staff of the University of Florida truly care about their community. Their record-breaking generosity is yet another example of how the Gators give in a million ways,” Dolan says.
In addition, the leadership campaign aspect of the drive, in which employees were encouraged to donate $500 or more, broke another record. Almost 500 UF employees met that challenge and raised a total of $507,575 toward the million-dollar goal. “UF faculty and staff members have stepped up to the challenge this year in an extraordinary manner to show their commitment to our community and have helped secure a better tomorrow for many of our neighbors,” says CLAS Dean Neil Sullivan, who chaired the leadership campaign and will serve as next year’s campaign chair.
The 76 local agencies that benefit from this year’s campaign cover a wide spectrum of support services, ranging from child care, recreational opportunities, counseling and legal help to environmental protection, disease prevention and medical assistance.