United Way : Campaign to fundraise at football game
Dollar Day at the Dome will take place throughout campus and in the Carrier Dome leading up to Saturday’s football game against Rutgers University.
This is the 13th annual event held by United Way of Central New York, said Jennifer Horvath, campaign coordinator and public information officer for the Department of Public Safety. United Way plans to use Dollar Day to encourage students to work toward a charitable cause.
United Way of Central New York works with local charities rather than focusing on just one. Charities include the Food Bank of Central New York, Vera House and On Point for College.
‘There are 95 programs and 35 local agencies,’ Horvath said. ‘The money that we’re raising here is staying in Central New York.’
In previous years, athletes would assist in collecting donations, but that was eliminated to prevent any issues with the NCAA, said Tony Callisto, chief of DPS and chair of the United Way campaign. ‘The fraternities and sororities stepped up and volunteered to solicit donations.’
Students with donation buckets will be set up as far as the Sheraton University Hotel and Conference Center, College Place and the Carrier Dome. Anyone can donate various amounts to these volunteers leading up to the game.
The event is usually held later in the season, but it was pushed up for multiple reasons, Horvath said.
‘I wanted a game early on in the year, so the weather wasn’t that bad. I wanted a noon game because I didn’t really want to be doing this at night. I picked Rutgers specifically because I thought we’d be coming off a big win against Toledo,’ Horvath said. ‘So I was hoping more people would be excited about the team and more people would turn out to this game.’
But moving up the scheduled date hasn’t been easy, she said.
‘The game was so early this year. Last year, the game wasn’t until November. So it’s been kind of a mad rush to get everything done,’ Horvath said.
The event has more than 300 volunteers this year, she said, which is up from almost 50 volunteers last year.
United Way officials are hoping the change in date and increase in volunteers will aid a sizable total contribution from the university.
‘The overall university campaign can contribute about $200,000 to the local United Way campaign. I think our number was more than $214,000 last year,’ Callisto said.
Suzanne Thorin, dean of libraries, university librarian and longtime contributor to United Way, said she sees Dollar Day is an opportunity to donate to a great cause.
‘It’s a home game where we hope it’s not too cold and there will be tailgating. So there will be a lot of people around,’ Thorin said. ‘It’s an easy way to give to people who need something.’
But Dollar Day isn’t the only United Way event Syracuse University hosts during the academic year.
Callisto said: ‘There will be a chili cook-off, bake sales and other sales. Each school and college has a coordinator for different events. Dollar Day is the biggest because it’s at the Dome and includes students and faculty.’
Published on September 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm
