West Virginia University’s United Way campaign has surpassed the midway point, and more than 380 Mountaineers have pledged $170,165 – 57 percent of the $300,000 goal.

The campaign, which lasts eight weeks, will wrap up on Nov. 6. Provost Joyce McConnell is serving as 2015 campaign chair.

“Our early support has been phenomenal,” said Brett White, United Way director of development and marketing. “Now is the time for us to keep up the momentum to ensure we cross over that $300,000 mark. WVU plays a vital role in helping create positive community change through this campaign.”

Employees are able to pledge electronically and via paper forms if necessary. Many units across campus are also sponsoring special events and activities to raise funds.

Students have raised more than $15,000 for the campaign after selling more than 4,000 Gold Rush T-shirts prior to the WVU football game vs. Maryland this month. This Spring, over $13,000 was also raised during the annual Blue and Gold Mine Sale, which helped divert over 60 tons of waste from the campus community.

Employees who contribute $72 or more are eligible to win two tickets to an arts series performance. Those who donate $120 or more are eligible to win a yearly parking permit or men’s basketball tickets. Those who donate $240 or more are eligible to win a single, yearlong membership to the WVU Recreation Center. First-time givers who give at least $72 can win a gift certificate to dinner for two.

All contributions for WVU’s United Way campaign stay local, as the money is donated to 27 different organizations in Monongalia and Preston Counties that assist people with healthcare, childcare, youth mentoring, senior programs, mental health programs, disaster response initiatives and healthy lifestyle initiatives, among others. These agencies, however, do not have the resources for large fundraising campaigns and rely on WVU’s United Way campaign each year for additional funding

Employees interested in making a contribution should visit the website or complete their pledge form and return it to their unit team captain. For more information, log onto http://unitedway.wvu.edu/ or email unitedway@mail.wvu.edu.

The entire campaign’s goal In Monongalia and Preston counties is more than $1.54 million. WVU would like to gather about one-fifth of the funds with the $300,000 goal.

WVU’s United Way campaign began in 1982, White said, and has been conducted each year since.

-WVU-

cn/10/14/15

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