VCU and VCUHS employees break fundraising record

By Leila Ugincius

Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health System employees contributed a record $711,033 to their combined Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign — more than any other state agency — earning the effort the CVC’s Award of Excellence.

The combined 2005 campaign garnered numerous awards at the annual CVC recognition and awards ceremony on March 2. The Award of Excellence recognizes the largest-dollar campaign in the annual giving program that encourages Virginia state employees to contribute to humanitarian, environmental and health- and human-service charities.

VCU was in close competition with the University of Virginia for this award, said Sara R. Wilson, director of the Department of Human Resource Management, which distributed the awards.

“We didn’t know who was ahead,” she said. “One day it was UVA, one day it was VCU.” In the end the VCU and health system combined campaign edged out UVA in a first for the CVC campaign.”

The university and health system also won the Virginia Cares Award, a new award created for special circumstances that this year recognized the top five contributors to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. In addition, it won the Special Events Award, given for the best use of technology in fundraising events for the “Swipes for Katrina” campaign; the Special Events for Specific Charities Recognition for the VCU Massey Cancer Center, which shared the honor with the Heart Association; a Silver Award for employee participation; and the Pinnacle Award for its best campaign ever.

“I am very proud of the employees of VCU and the VCU Health System who have demonstrated their commitment to serving the community with generosity and leadership,” said Paul W. Timmreck, VCU senior vice president for finance and administration and chair of the VCU and VCUHS combined campaign.

The 2005 CVC total set a record for the university and health system’s combined campaign for the third consecutive year. The statewide CVC also set a record this year, reporting $4.45 million in contributions from employees across Virginia.

The statewide campaign was to begin Oct. 1, but was pressed into service a few weeks early when Gov. Mark Warner asked CVC units around the state to spearhead employee contributions in response to hurricane damage to several communities along the Gulf Coast. It was extended to mid-December.

Between 2001 and 2005, the VCU and VCU Health System combined campaign has donated more than $2.1 million to charity.