[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/communitycampaign.jpg” caption=”President George launches Community Campaign”]

One hundred and fifty members of the University community showed their support for the University's annual fundraising drive by attending a barbecue on Thursday, Sept. 28 to officially launch the Community Campaign (once called the Annual Fund).

The event is held to raise awareness and participation among faculty, retirees and staff of University fundraising. This year's efforts are a part of the $100-million Changing Tomorrow Today (CTT) campaign. The Community Campaign is being led by President Emeritus Alvin Lee.

“I agreed to be the chair (of this campaign) because I recognize the excellence of this University and strongly believe that support for this institution must start from within,” said Lee, adding that staff, faculty and retirees have contributed more than $2 million to the CTT campaign.

In his address to the group, University President Peter George announced that at the end of August, the campaign total was just over $93 million. “We have made incredible progress in the one year since we launched publicly. One of the big reasons that we have been so successful in attracting donations from the external community has been our demonstration of support from within the McMaster community.”

George told the group that “We are closing in on the $100-million mark and we will go through our goal some time this fall. We will continue with our fundraising efforts until July 1, 2001 when our Changing Tomorrow Today campaign will officially come to a close.”