University Times

This year’s winner of the Pitt United Way campaign grand prize drawing is long-term staff member Tami Hirth of the Office of Community and Governmental Relations.

The support staffer, who has been at Pitt since 1980, won a pair of US Airways tickets to anywhere the airline flies in the continental United States in the Dec. 3 drawing.

“Isn’t that unbelievable?” a stunned Hirth told the University Times. “I never win anything.”

She and her husband Don have not formalized their travel plans yet, she said. “My husband travels a lot because of his job as a project manager for a home improvement company, and because they’re my tickets, he’s going to let me pick the place this time,” Hirth said. “You can be sure it will be someplace warm,” she added.

To date, Pitt’s United Way campaign has raised $483,397, almost 80 percent of its $610,000 goal, according to campaign manager Sue Steele of Institutional Advancement. Pitt’s 2003 campaign raised $598,143.

“We are now $93,955 ahead of where we were last year at this time,” Steele said. “We are confident that we will reach the goal. We always have a number of stragglers who give to the campaign before the end of the calendar year.” Gifts that are received by Dec. 31 are deductible on 2004 income taxes, she noted.

The dollars raised so far include $85,000 from students, $10,422 from retirees, $2,400 from The Book Center’s holiday card sale, $1,988 from other special events and the balance from Pitt faculty and staff, Steele said.

This year the campaign’s departmental representatives and coordinators developed novel ways to spur interest. “We have encouraged more visibility in the departments,” Steele said. “Our volunteers are reporting that they are having kick-offs, lunches, breakfasts, special events, drawings, contests, games and even ‘penny wars’ to raise additional money and interest.”

Penny wars pit two teams in a contest to raise the most pennies. If one team member puts a silver coin in the other team’s penny jar, the second team must deduct the amount of the silver coin from their penny count, Steele said. “All the money goes to the campaign, but the teams have a lot of fun competing.”

This year’s campaign also has stressed more visibility in the units. As examples of special efforts, Steele cited:

* Georgia Gray of Student Financial Services helped raise $600 from staff at her office and the Office of the University Registrar by selling Sarris chocolates and candles from the Early American Candle Co.

* Cindy Bellucci in Alumni Relations served smiley cookies and apple cider at her campaign kick-off and plans to host a thank-you lunch.

“Alumni Relations is at 100 percent participation,” Steele pointed out.

* Jodi Hirst and Jason Killmeyer of Human Resources designed and conducted a contest for the office resulting in an increase in participation over last year.

* Lynette Clark of the Graduate School of Public Health had a “muffin morning” that raised $22.

* Steele’s Office of Institutional Advancement held three casual-dress Fridays during the campaign. “We paid $2 each week to wear jeans and raised $351 for the campaign,” she said. “While these dollars were in addition to a gift to the United Way, the increased interest triggered an increase in participation to 83 percent of the staff giving to the United Way, up from 66 percent in 2003.”

* Pitt’s fraternities and sororities named the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation as the charity of choice. Students raised funds through a number of events including the Brother Sister Auctions, Greek Olympiads, Greek Sing and Greek Formal. “This year they also are working to educate the community on their charity as well as looking into the possibility of corporate sponsorship,” Steele said.

“We plan to get these ideas on line for everyone for next year’s campaign and are looking for ways to recognize the efforts of so many committed volunteers at the University,” she added.

UW campaign representative Linda Engel of the Department of Critical Care Medicine won a laptop computer in a drawing among campaign reps. Pitt’s UW campaign will continue to accept paper pledges. On-line giving has ended, according to Jean McDonough, assistant to the UW campaign chair.

For extra copies of the pledge forms or for more information, contact McDonough at 412/624-5846.

-Peter Hart