UNMC looks to top United Way goal again

It went down to the wire last year, but UNMC employees flexed their collective generosity muscles to raise more than $136,000 and surpass the goal for the campus’ annual United Way drive.

This year’s campaign starts on Monday, Oct. 13 and ends on Friday, Oct. 31. UNMC officials — including Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. — have increased this year’s goal to $140,000 and are calling on employees to help surpass the campus goal again.

“Last year was very exciting in that it came down to the final minutes for us to reach our goal,” Dr. Maurer said. “But UNMC employees were inspiring in their generosity and I have every confidence that such a spirit will be on display again this time around.”

To make donating more convenient for employees, UNMC will again conduct its campus United Way campaign electronically.

Steering committee members The following is a list of steering committee members for the 2008 UNMC United Way campaign: Marcia Beer, academic affairs Mary McNamee, academic affairs, chairwoman Sue Miyeno, School of Allied Health Dan Michalak, business and finance Sue Smith, business and finance Deb Thomas, business and finance, vice chairwoman Jill Carson, chancellor’s unit, campaign manager Judy Houfek, College of Medicine Cara Mouw, College of Nursing Kerry Lytle, College of Pharmacy Jean Beda, College of Public Health Wayne Houston, College of Public Health Amy LeBlanc, Eppley Institute Eileen Andersen, information technology services Michael Crawford,Ph.D., Munroe-Meyer Institute Alan Jarecki, Vice Chancellor for Research Juli Schoening, United Way Pam Penke, United Way

For the third-straight year, UNMC employees will be able to pledge online through an efficient, secure system that mirrors the traditional paper pledging system of years past.

As the campaign kicks off, employees will receive a username and password in an e-mail message sent to their UNMC e-mail account. A handful of UNMC employees who do not have a UNMC e-mail account will receive pledge cards to fill out.

Once again, employees can direct campaign contributions, which help support more than 150 health and human service programs across the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Bellevue metropolitan areas. Employees also can donate directly to United Way or to area non-profit agencies that are not United Way agencies by writing in the agency name.

Overall, the United Way hopes to raise $21.7 million for the community.

“The United Way campaign is a wonderful way for the UNMC community to collectively give back to the Omaha community,” said Mary McNamee, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and campus chairwoman for this year’s United Way campaign. “We came through in a big way last year and I believe we will do the same this fall.”

Campaign pledges, which can be made through UNMC’s payroll deduction, are automatically withdrawn beginning in January.

Those pledging by Oct. 17 will be eligible for weekly prize drawings that will be held on Fridays. Among the prizes available during this year’s drawings are tickets to Nebraska football games on:

• Oct. 25 against Baylor;
  
• Nov. 8 against Kansas; and
  
• Nov. 28 against Colorado.

Other prizes awarded during the drawings include gift certificates from Borsheim’s, Target, Best Buy, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Village Pointe Shopping Center and other businesses.

Drawing winners will be announced in UNMC Today.

A “no-pledge” option is available online for employees choosing not to donate this year. Individuals unable to contribute are still encouraged to access the eWay Web site and submit their “no donation” response to be eligible for the prize drawings.

For more information, contact Jill Carson, UNMC’s campaign manager, at 559-4694.