Giving Green co-chairs Joël Gallegos and Misty Hathcock kicked off the 2013 campaign with a combined pledge of $1,946, as they encouraged all University employees to support the drive.
“We believe in backing community organizations, and we are committed to Giving Green,” said the co-chairs. Their pledge amount is in recognition of 1946, the founding date of UNC Charlotte (originally established as the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina). The pledge also honors University founder Bonnie Cone.
“She worked tirelessly in support of education and inspired countless students and community members to give of their time and treasure to preserve the University,” noted Gallegos and Hathcock in an email to faculty and staff. “Participating in the Giving Green Campaign can be a way to honor the legacy and tradition of Miss Bonnie.”
Nearly 350 faculty and staff members attended the Sept. 24 kickoff, which included a free lunch and raffle drawings as incentives to increase employee participation. Members of the Division for University Advancement also organized a bake sale to raise money for the Employee Loan Fund.
Chancellor Philip L. Dubois spoke at the luncheon, too. He thanked the organizers of the event and the co-chairs for spearheading the 2013 effort, which benefits the State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC), the Arts & Science Council (ASC) and the UNC Charlotte Foundation.
“These three organizations are important to all of our communities – whether you live in Mecklenburg or a surrounding county. Many of us can probably name a friend or relative whose life was enriched by the services provided by one of the 1,000-plus SECC partner agencies or through exposure to the cultural, artistic, historic or scientific programming of the ASC. UNC Charlotte students definitely benefit from private donor support,” stated Dubois.
Kickoff attendees also had the chance to interact with representatives from SECC, ASC and UNC Charlotte organizations at the Giving Green Agency Fair.
Meredith Cuomo and Shannon Crawford from the SECC and ASC, respectively, also spoke at the event. Cuomo, SECC resource development director, thanked UNC Charlotte employees for demonstrating “such passion” for the Giving Green Campaign; she noted that the kickoff program was the best-attended of any she had spoken at across the state.
Employees who attended the program and made a donation or pledge to Giving Green were entered into a random drawing. Winners were:
- Sandra Anderson, academic affairs, 32-inch flat-screen TV
- Curtis Canty, athletics, a pair of tickets to the Bank of America 500 NASCAR race
- Jennifer Eklund, College of Education, two tickets to Charlotte 49ers football game and an athletics umbrella
- Mary Fisher, business affairs, four passes to Discovery Place or Discovery Place for Kids
- Peter Franz, business affairs, restaurant and gift card bundle
- Sharon Horinka, business affairs, UNC Charlotte blanket, shirt, stadium seat and lunch for two at Bistro 49
- Theresa Howell, business affairs, two complimentary passes to any Robinson Hall performance
- Beverly Imes, business affairs, one-night weekend stay at the Omni Charlotte Hotel
- Niki Moseley, academic affairs, iTunes gift bundle
- Rosemary Nelson, Counseling Center, two tickets to the performance Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration
- Melissa Shelton, University advancement, four tickets to any Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball game this season and a men’s golf shirt
- Kerin Weston, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, one premium access gate card for a year
The 2013 Giving Green Campaign is scheduled to run through Tuesday, Oct. 22. During the week of Oct. 14-18, there are five community service projects that employees can sign up as a volunteer. A different member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet is leading each of these Giving Green Volunteer Week opportunities, which have been approved for community service leave – an annual benefit that all permanent employees receive.
Also, employees are encouraged to watch for emails and information in Inside UNC Charlotte about the Giving Green Eight-in-Eight raffles, hourly prize drawings that reward faculty and staff members who participate in the Giving Green campaign.