As the end of the year draws near, so too does the end of the Community Giving campaign. And while the campaign has progressed steadily toward its goal of $340,000, as of December 14 it is still $113,879 short.
Updated numbers stand at $226,121 raised from 811 donors, 59 of which are at the Leadership level of $1,000 or above. Campaign manager Elizabeth Mulcahey reminds the community that donations of all sizes are important in reaching people who need help.
"It's not too late to contribute, and every gift is welcome -- from $1 to $10,000," she said.
Some examples of what a gift can provide are:
- $3 per week: covers the cost of 15 round trips to treatment for a cancer patient, 50 lunches to low-income seniors or 10 calls to a parental stress line to help prevent child abuse.
- $5 per week: provides four domestic violence workshops at a local homeless shelter, covers the cost of three cribs for a local family center or funds enhanced referral services to five families with special needs children.
- $10 per week: buys flu vaccines for 365 homeless people or provides hotline counseling and referral for 40 domestic violence victims, friends or family members.
Everyone who makes a pledge or donation to the campaign is automatically entered into a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses. The end-of-campaign raffle will be held in mid-February. Winners will be notified by mail or telephone.
Prizes donated thus far include a "family five-pack" of tickets to the New England Sports Museum at the FleetCenter; tickets to a performance of the Boston Classical Orchestra; admission for two to Scullers Jazz Club at the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel; two tickets for the performance of Mary Stuart at the Huntington Theatre Company; four tickets to Water Country; two passes to the Museum of Science exhibit halls; overnight stays for two at the Cambridge Marriott, the Residence Inn in Cambridge, the Holiday Inn Express Somerville and the University Park Hotel at MIT; and a kids' pool party at the Holiday Inn Somerville.
For questions about any aspect of the campaign, see the web site or contact Ms. Mulcahey at ekm@mit.edu or Annemarie Cameron of the Office of Special Community Services at acameron@mit.edu or x3-7914.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 15, 1999.
