York’s United Way Campaign reaches the $50,000 mark

Two weeks into the United Way Campaign and York University has reached the $50,000 mark in donations. The past week has been very busy for the campaign team and its group of intrepid volunteers.

"We’re off to such a good start. So far, in only five day’s worth of mail, we’ve received $47,094 in pledge card donations! In addition to $1,246 in special events money, that means our current total is $48,340.20," said York’s United Way Campaign Chair Sue Levesque.

The goal for this year’s campaign is $190,000. Those who return their pledge cards before Nov. 30, the close of the official campaign timeline will be eligible for great prizes including: 

  • Tea and conversation with President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and Leadership Co-Chairs Eileen Fischer, professor of marketing at the Schulich School of Business, and Naguib Gouda, executive director of Alumni & Advancement Services.
  • Two tickets to the Tennis Canada’s Rogers Cup semifinals
  • Tim Horton’s coffee maker and gift basket donated by Aramark
  • Sport York gift certificate for an instructional course of winner’s choice between Jan 17 and mid-March 2008
  • Lunch for two at The Underground restaurant donated by The Underground.

There are many more fun United Way events lined up for the remainder of the campaign, including the annual, and very popular, Cup-A-Soup week hosted by the Offices of the President, Vice-Presidents, University Secretary & General Counsel, Alumni & Advancement Services and the York University Foundation. Cup-A-Soup will run Nov. 19 to 23, from 12 to 2pm in Central Square on the Keele campus. Buy a delicious cup of soup and roll for $3. Soup kindly donated by Petal Food (Michaelangelo’s).

Also, on Nov. 28, the highly successful York University Clothing Swap for the United Way returns. Practise sustainable shopping while reducing and recycling.

Bring a minimum of three clean, new or gently worn pieces of modern adult clothing, shoes or accessories (belts or purses) to The Underground in the York Student Centre, between 8 and 9:30am on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Then return between 12 and 2pm and, for a $5 entrance fee, you can try on a variety of outfits and walk away with a whole new wardrobe! The $5 entrance fee will go to the United Way. All unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity. Organizers are asking volunteers and those planning to donate clothing to the swap to register by Nov. 21.

Those interested in volunteering at the clothing swap should send an e-mail to uwswap@yorku.ca. For more information on this event, visit the York University Clothing Swap for the United Way Web site.

For more information, visit York University’s United Way Web page on the University Events & Community Relations Web site. Visit the United Way of Greater Toronto Web site to learn more about the campaign and the people who benefit from the organization.