Short of goals, campus still first in COMECC giving

lthough the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Employees Charitable Campaign failed to meet its goals on campus this year, for the fifth consecutive year the campus raised the most funds in the state for COMECC, according to campus campaign chair George Parks.

     The campaign's completion was celebrated at a breakfast Wednesday Feb. 26. The annual breakfast marks the close of the active campaign, although donations through COMECC are accepted year round.

     This year 35 percent of campus employees donated at total of $357,777 to local and state agencies. Campaign organizers had hoped to raise $380,000 and involve 50 percent of campus employees. The goal was lower this year than in recent years, when more than $400,000 has been raised, because the campus has hundreds of fewer employees than it did last year, according to Gloria Fox, the campaign's campus coordinator.

     The COMECC celebration breakfast is a thank you to department coordinators and volunteers for their work in raising funds through their colleagues.

      "UMass employees care about life quality issues," Fox said. "Their willingness to share, even in these economically challenging times, reflects their caring and concern for others."

     At the breakfast, Thomas O'Brien, chair of the Leader's Circle Committee, recognized those who volunteered to invite colleagues to donate at the leadership level, $500 or more per year. Leadership level contributors represented 68 percent of the campaign total.