PVCC Puma Press: April 2006

Paradise Valley Community College will begin its campus-wide effort to raise $22,000 for the Valley of the Sun United Way Campaign starting Oct. 1.

The United Way Campaign is a nonprofit organization that focuses resources to support charitable agencies in the Valley. Agencies that receive funding include the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, Child Crisis Center and the Save the Family Foundation. Individuals as well as business partners donate to support these community services.

Sue Isackson, PVCC coordinator of Alumni and Community Relations, spearheads the campus-wide effort.

“This is an effort close to my heart that I have been involved with for 27 years because it helped a family member of mine and I encourage others to participate because it could help you or your family,” says Isackson.

According to Isackson, last year the college raised $20,903. To reach this year’s goal, various initiatives will be taking place on campus through December.

The first is a diversity luncheon scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This luncheon will be held in the Kranitz Student Center hallway and admission is $5 per person and can be purchased at the fiscal office. The cost will allow guests to browse down the hallway and pick their cuisine of choice from many community restaurants. The Macaroni Grill and PVCC Paradise Cafe are among the participants.

The second initiative will be a themed basket auction that will feature decorative baskets from divisions across the campus, such as the library, Institutional Advancement, Maintenance and Operations and the Professional Staff Association. These baskets will be displayed in the KSC building and auctioned off at the end of the fall semester.

Another auction will also be conducted online; all participants can go to www.pvc.maricopa.edu and from the main page click on the link for United Way to place bids. Isackson is currently accepting any donations from gift cards to gently used electronics to include in the auction.

Along with the faculty initiatives the Student Leadership Council will host a mystery dinner on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets will go on sale the week of Oct. 8. They will be $12 for students with I.D and $20 for faculty and the community. Proceeds will go to the United Way. For more information, stop by the Student Life Center located in the KSC building.

Students can get involved through all of the initiatives mentioned earlier. For a quick donation students can also drop spare change in to any of the donation boxes located in the cafeteria, bookstore or fiscal office.

Faculty and staff may donate through one-time gifts or through payroll deductions.

For more information about the campus-wide initiatives, visit Sue Isackson in the Institutional Advancement office located on the second floor inside of the KSC building.