Wednesday, October 10, 2001

United cause
University sets $108,000 goal for United Way fund-raising campaign
By Jacque Petersell
Staff Reporter

TCU administrative assistant Lou Grouver said she appreciated assistance provided by the American Red Cross after a fire destroyed her Stonegate Villas apartment Sept. 16.

The Red Cross, an organization supported by the United Way, gave Grouver money for clothes and made sure she had a place to live.

Erin Munger/PHOTO EDITOR Wes Turner, publisher of the Fort Worth Star Telegram spoke at the kick-off for the United Way fundraising campaign at TCU Tuesday.

“You realize (they are in) the New York (City) area,” Grouver said. “You just don’t realize how helpful they are until it happens to you.”

At a breakfast Tuesday, the university officially began a fundraising campaign for the United Way, a non-profit organization that donates money and services to people in need.

Mike Mattson, employee campaign director for the United Way, said the university set a fund-raising goal of $108,000 and hopes at least 60 percent of faculty and staff members participate.

As of Tuesday, the university had 62 donors with $35,905 raised, Mattson said. Last year, the university raised more than $104,000 with 58 percent of the faculty and staff participating.

Mattson said the campaign is geared toward faculty and staff, not students because it isn’t appropriate to ask students to provide financial support to the organization while in college. However, students may donate money through his office if they choose.

Wes Turner, publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram , said there hasn’t been a better time to support the United Way. He said the organization has already sent more than $800,000 to New York City to help those affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, and more financial support will be needed in the Metroplex area as major airlines and airports lay off thousands of employees.

“We’ve never had greater needs in our local community,” Turner said. “Individuals in crisis, as we move forward, will seek United Way support.”

Turner said that if the 155,000 people who contributed to the United Way last year increased their giving by $1 a week, the United Way would gain $8 million for the year. Turner said he does not expect to meet the Tarrant County goal of $26 million, but did not want to set a lower goal for the campaign.

The United Way supports 47 local organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs, Cancer Care Services, AIDS Outreach Center and the Presbyterian Night Shelter of Tarrant County.

Jacque Petersell
j.s.petersell@student.tcu.edu