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Contact: University Communications & Marketing
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
A DAY 2004 Preview
October 18, 2004
CARROLLTON, GA - A big celebration is near for the University of West Georgia. It’s Homecoming week and, on Thursday, the final tally for the 22nd annual A DAY campaign will be announced.
The
A DAY celebration kicks off at 8:30 a.m. when the more than 250 volunteers
that will go door-to-door will be treated to breakfast at the Food Services
Building. After the final push, a victory celebration will be held for
all A DAY donors and volunteers at the home of Dr. Ralph and Susan Fleck.
Scott Evans Nissan-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep sponsors the celebration, where
the final tally will be announced.
Volunteers are a vital part of A DAY. During the past 22 years, more than 3,750 have participated.
Last year, the event raised more than $2,820,614 and more than $17 million has been raised during the past 21 years. The chair for this year’s campaign, local community leader Susan Fleck, has been involved with A DAY as a volunteer since 1985 and says the drive is essential to UWG and the growing community of Carrollton.
“I am drawn in by A DAY because of what it means to the community,” Fleck said. “It also attracts a higher caliber student to UWG and most importantly, it will provide resources to help students afford the cost of a higher education.” Both Fleck and Fred O’Neal, a UWG graduate and vice chair of A DAY, have been helping with responsibilities in development and planning the campaign.
“The big picture is participation as our real goal because raising the funds is a by-product of participation,” O’Neal said.
The faculty, staff and community leaders all volunteer their time and efforts in the campaign to fund scholarships, advanced technology, faculty enrichment, and other academic endeavors, said Dr. Kathryn Grams, who chaired the faculty/staff drive. As chairman of the nursing department at UWG since 1986, she pointed out, for example, that A DAY funds are used to finance student programs in her department.
The faculty/staff drive raised more than $82,000 this year and $800,000 in contributions since 1983. AirTran Airways, which just this year opened a call center in Carrollton, is the exclusive corporate sponsor for the faculty/staff portion of A DAY. The center’s general manager, Vince Fulghum, is a 1999 graduate of UWG and was instrumental in bringing AirTran to Carrollton.
AirTran’s relationship with UWG comes naturally. Of AirTran’s 160 employees in the west Georgia area, two-thirds of them are UWG students. Fulgram says A DAY is a great campaign for AirTran to support due to the school involvement the sponsorship allows. “It’s a win-win situation,” he said.
Also West Georgia National Bank sponsored the annual Run for A DAY — with about 600 participants — earlier this month. The event added more than $4,000 to the A DAY goal. Since its inception in 1985, Run for A DAY has had more than 7,900 runners.
For more information about A DAY for West Georgia, contact the UWG Foundation at 770-836-6582.
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