CIE Endowment Fellow
Spring 2012

Milka Kagira Ndura is a master’s student who joins us from Kenya. Milka brings interesting background and experience to the CIE community. She has worked with and interesting East African NGO called Twaweza Kenya where she did media monitoring, wrote educational briefs and did research work on the Twaweza’s  key areas - Education, Health and water. She also worked with a local NGO called Uwezo Kenya where she trained volunteers, and also participated in collecting data from household surveys to document literacy levels of children aged between 6-16 years in Kenya.

While working for Twaweza,  Milka met a CIE Doctoral student, Martina Achieng, from whom she learned about CIE. Milka’s interest is in learning more on Education as an economical tool and especially focusing on out-of-school youth who are seeking meaningful employment.  Milka is particularly interested in looking at boy children who she sees as a forgotten and how those boys that drop out of school can gain meaningful way of livelihood. 

Milka describes her interests in her own words:

My interest in International Education was catalyzed when I attended a workshop on Citizen Education which was organized by University of Alberta. At that moment our Education partners had launched a report on ‘Are Our Children Learning’ from the report a key question emerged from discussions with my colleagues, was our education system failing us? To what extent does the Kenyan Education system engage critical citizen education? These questions haunt me.

I felt I needed to explore these questions to exchange ideas with others as well as develop new questions in the words of Wole Soyinka “I believe that the best learning process of any kind of craft is just to look at the work of others” to understand a story I must see it from another environment and not be a character in the narrative but to be an objective observer.

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2010

Satomi Kamei is a third year doctoral student at CIE. She is from Tokyo, Japan. While growing up, she was always encouraged by her parents to be independent and do something different to enrich her life. Thus, upon completion of her undergraduate study, she left Japan first to travel around Southeast Asia. Then she moved to the U.S. to study international development and environmental geography focusing on Southeast Asia.

When Satomi started to work for a Japanese development agency, she was assigned to handle education despite her academic background. It was by accident, though, since then she has been engaging in the education sector, especially in sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia and Tanzania. She has served as education adviser in supervising education projects and technical assistance for the agency as well as technical adviser for the ministries of education in non-formal education strategy development, decentralized education planning, and education management.

When based in Ghana, Satomi met Professor Ash Hartwell and learned about CIE. She decided to come to the center to strengthen her analytical skills and reflect on her work over the past 15 years. She is currently working on a proposal for her dissertation in which she intends to employ her field experience and academic learning from CIE.

By currently serving as the Program Development Coordinator for CIE, Satomi feels that she is gaining a deeper understanding of CIE’s vision, technical expertise and needs as a community and is delighted to be part of facilitation of opportunities for the CIE members to further engage in education and development efforts on the ground.    

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2009

Mohammad Javad Ahmadi is the center’s sixth Endowment Fellow and a first year doctoral candidate. He comes from Afghanistan where he worked for the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education as a trainer, planner, evaluator, and project coordinator. He has worked in different projects of Teacher Education Department and he was the national coordinator for the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) Capacity Development project that provided him the opportunity to be involved in the process of Afghanistan National Education Strategic Plan revision.  

Javad has joined the CIE to learn more about evaluation and research methods, policy making process, teacher education strategies in the developing countries, and non formal education. Since arriving at CIE in September Javad says that:

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2008

Laureen Pierre is a first year doctoral candidate at the CIE. She comes from Guyana where she worked for many years as a researcher in the Amerindian Research Unit at the University of Guyana and as a community development practitioner among Guyana’s indigenouspeoples. Immediately prior to joining CIE she was a Research Associate in the Collaborative Studies CoordinatingCenter at theUniversity of North Carolina School of Public Health where she worked on anumber of longitudinal research projects.

An indigenous person, Laureen has a passion for and a commitment to engaging with indigenous people in their efforts to develop their communities. In addition to working as a teacher in isolated Amerindian communities, she also served as a regional coordinator and trainer for “The Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme (CBR)” among the Macushi and Wapishana peoples of Guyana’s Rupununi savannahs. CBR was an integrated development program that offered knowledge and skills in literacy, numeracy, primary health care, early child development, and issues involving disabilities to adults. Laureen has also served in research, training, advisory and administrative capacities for various projects related to health, agriculture, forestry, and local and regional governance systems. While in Guyana during the summer of 2008, Laureen served as a guest trainer on leadership for young, potential Amerindian leaders, as well as with representatives of organizations that work or interact with Amerindian communities. The training was part of a Collaborative Management Training Program that was conducted by the Iwokrama International Center for Rain Forest Conservation and Development.

Laureen was the project assistant for the CIE 40th Celebration Conference.

She considered this a unique opportunity to interact with a wide cross section of the CIE community.  She says she is now far more appreciative of the spirit that pervades the CIE community and of the work that CIE members are engaged in across the globe.  

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2007

Farida Fleming is the recipient of the fourth Endowment Award, financed by income from the CIE Endowment Fund. She comes to CIE from Australia with an interest in integrating her practice with theory and connecting with a larger community that shares similar values. Farida has worked in Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific region over the past 10 years as a teacher, facilitator and project manager. Recently, with the Revitalisation of the School Cluster System project in Aceh, Farida worked with art teachers who developed psycho-social programs for children in the post-tsunami context.

She is currently working on a local research program in Western Massachusetts that is helping to develop pathways for the underrepresented Latino and African American population to enter the nursing profession. In addition, Farida is working with CIE as the Program Development Coordinator where she matches Center expertise with funding opportunities. This position allows her to use her skills in bringing potential collaborators together. Since arriving at CIE in September she says that:

At CIE, I have found a community of people living and working from a shared set of values. Being here allows my thinking and practice to be challenged, supported, and extended. I feel lucky to have found friends, mentors and colleagues here.

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2006

CIE gives a warm welcome to Sarah Wangari Kahando who joins us from Kenya as the Center’s third Endowment Fellow. Sarah comes from Nairobi with a B.Ed. in English and Literature. She has several unique experiences to bring to the CIE community. She taught English as a Second Language to women in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya. She worked in Southern Sudan with Save the Children UK as an adult literacy teacher and later with CIE’s Sudan Basic Education Program as a trainer developing English language programs and training teachers in non-formal education.

As a Masters candidate, Sarah is interested in learning more about non-formal education and the role education plays in international development. Sarah will be contributing to CIE’s management by helping to organize and run Tuesday meetings and managing the CIE members database. She has already demonstrated her leadership potential as a facilitator during the fall retreat. Sarah is one of three Kenyan women currently enrolled in degree programs at CIE.

Sarah says that she is excited to be here not just because of her academic endeavors, but also for the opportunity to learn from the diverse and rich experiences of the students and faculty at CIE. She looks forward to an enriching experience as she shares and learns from others.

Welcome, Sarah! We are glad you can join us!

CIE Endowment Fellow
Fall 2005

Nigel Brissett is CIE’s second Endowment Fellow - financed by income from the endowment. His assistantship responsiiblities are to work with the CIE network through activities associated with fund raising, the newsletter, and the Kinsey Dialogue series. As the fund gradually grows, we hope to continue sponsoring exciting scholars from developing contexts to make it possible to maintain a diverse community at CIE.

He is a Jamaican doctoral candidate who started in September 2005. His primary interests are in tertiary educational policy and reform, particularly in the Caribbean region. Nigel is the second Jamaican to join CIE; Maxwell Senior (Ed.D. 1984) was the first.

For the past several years Nigel has been working with the University of the West Indies doing various education-related development projects. He says that his work has influenced the value he places on cultural sensitivity and beneficiary participation in development planning and programs. He believes CIE shares these ideals - a central reason for him coming here. Nigel, welcome to the CIE community.

DRE came down from Amherst to join the gathering and distribute the most recent newsletter. He spoke briefly about events at CIE and then conversation turned to the possibility of celebrating CIE’s 40 th anniversary, probably sometime around June 2008. Ideas about what should be done at such a celebration were generated. Some suggested discussions aroung themes like contributions to development, reflections on workingin development, country or organization-based discussions, or round tables to share experience and insights. Others suggested debates, entertainment of various kinds, and perhaps some skill development workshops. Someone noted that we could all donate frequent flyer miles to make it possible for international members to attend more easily.

As John Bing put it, “the arch of CIE” spans a whole era. The arch was exemplified by the range of CIE members at the gathering who work with USAID. Dwaine Lee a current doctoral candidate recently joined AID as a new entry professional. Patrick Fine, the former AID mission director in Afghanistan, is now at AID headquarters as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Africa Bureau. He commented that he was glad to be back in Africa – his first love! They were joined by John Hatch and Jim Hoxeng, both long-term AID employees, with Jim having been there more than thirty years. They shared perspectives and advice on current and past programs.

David Styles talked about his current work at the Foreign Service Institute where he has settled after a variety of previous employment. Another recent arrival in Washington, Julio Ramirez has recently joined the Washington office of World Learning after many years working in Central America, most recently in Guatemala.

Flavia Ramos is at American University where she is Director of the International Training and Education Program --a program founded by the late Leon Clark. Also present was Steve Anzalone, Director of the Multi-channel Learning Center at EDC Washington.

Jane Benbow, Suzie Kindervatter and Marilyn Gillespie shared old times. All are very active in adult, nonformal, alternative education activities. Jane Benbow now works with AIR in Washington, where she is a Managing Research Scientist and Project Director of the Educational Quality Improvement Program for Classrooms, Schools and Communities (EQUIP 1). Suzi is at InterAction where she is Director of Gender Equality and Diversityand has recently managed the production of a series of manuals and handbooks on Gender Mainstreaming and Audits. Marilyn is at Stanford Research Institute in Washington where she directs and manages projects related to literacy and lifelong learning, English language learning, teacher education and workforce preparation.

Several CIE Members who wanted to come were unable to make it at the last minute including Barbara Howald, and Don Graybill. Others like Bill Smith, Berengere DeNegri, Steve Grant and Carl Stecker sent their regrets due to travel or other engagements.

Thirty CIE members representing four decades gathered at the Palo Alto home of Jeanne Moulton in March 2005, taking advantage of the annual meeting of the Comparative and International Education Society being held that week at Stanford University. Those attending were a mixture of CIE folks living and working in the San Francisco Bay area and those attending the CIES conference.

Jeanne Moulton and her husband Matt graciously opened their beautiful, century-old, redwood house in central Palo Alto for the occasion. The gathering produced some poignant reunions of folks who hadn't seen each other in decades, as well as a chance for five current CIE students to make contact with members of the extended CIE family. CIE faculty members Gretchen Rossman, Ash Hartwell – back after 30 years of field experience to rejoin CIE as a faculty member – and DRE were there as well.

DRE spoke briefly, welcoming everyone and providing a brief synopsis of the state of CIE. He spoke of the progress in the CIE Endowment fund drive; thanking the many contributors present and encouraging others join them. Gretchen Rossman shared the news of the search for a new faculty member and future plans for faculty. Discussion then turned to the possibility of a large reunion to celebrate CIE's 40 th anniversary sometime in 2008. There was general enthusiasm in support of a reunion along with the realization that planning needs to start soon to make it a reality.

Coming from a great distance were Mokubung Nkomo and Renuka Pillay. Mokubung is currently the Executive Director for Education & Training at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in South Africa and is working at Pretoria University. Renuka has been in Kampala, Uganda for the past seven years working in the Ministry of Education as a senior advisor on a variety of teacher training and curriculum initiatives.

A big surprise was Susan Carpenter who flew up unannounced from Los Angeles to attend! DRE was delighted since it had been nearly two decades since he had seen Susan. Susan continues her cutting edge work in peace and reconciliation services, something she pioneered in the early 1970s long before it was a high priority area of study and work. Another surprise was Kevin Jacobson who is now doing a doctorate at Loyola University and was there for the CIES conference.

The earliest decade was represented by John Hatch and Mike Hagerty, two members of the second cohort of CIE students, otherwise known as the “4 H” club since there were four students in that class whose names began with “H” – the others were Jim Hoxeng, Peter Higginson, and then later the fifth, Mike Haviland. Mike Hagerty hadn't been seen in decades and was a delight to talk with after all this time. He lives in Carmel and works on the Oakland side of the bay. John Hatch continues to work with AID – in the same department as Jim Hoxeng.

Jane Benbow, who moved from CARE in Atlanta to AIR in Washington, D.C., was there and took the opportunity to call Kay Pfeiffer in Florida. Kay sent her greetings and talked with Flavia Ramos and Hassan Mohamed, colleagues from her time at CIE. Flavia is very active at American University in Washington, D.C. Hassan has moved to CARE headquarters in Atlanta to work in the division that Jane Benbow built during her tenure at CARE. David Kahler, a vice-president at World Education who has been active recently in SE Asia, was also present.

Phoebe McKinney and Mary Lugton were there representing more recent graduates. Phoebe and Mary moved to California from Washington in the past year. Kaki Rusmore attended and spoke of her work as a Program Officer for management assistance with the Community Foundation of Monterey County in California. She is giving some thought to a doctoral program that combines public health and development education. Janna Shadduck was there from UCLA. She will be returning to Amherst next month to defend her dissertation.

As people introduced themselves and spoke about their current work, many also reflected on what their experience at CIE had meant to them. A number commented explicitly on how the learning and insights they had gained on-campus had been directly useful in their careers. Others agreed but couldn't resist the opportunity to roast DRE with a variety of memories, some more apocryphal than others! One of the 4H's claimed to remember an early meeting with the four of them where DRE said “Three of you will graduate and looked squarely at one of them!” Others commented on how they were had to fight to get into CIE despite initial questions about meeting the criteria of the time. DRE, with a grin, suggested that was part of the selection process.

Sending their regrets were Ellen Licht, Mark Lynd (who arrived the day after the gathering), Alberto Ochoa, Alane Paul Castro, Mike Marzolla (who sent several pictures of CIE folks from the 25 th reunion), and Yihong Fan who had originally planned to attend CIES from China.

At the beginning of the Fall Semester in 2003, CIE made its first award using the proceeds from the CIE Endowment Fund. The award of an Assistantship to Mary Catherine Mukimba honored the thirty years of service of Professor George Urch to CIE and the School of Education.

George was a faculty member from 1967 until 1997 and during that time he had a significant impact on CIE, its programs and its students. George chaired nearly fifty completed dissertations, introduced the Master's project as the final stage of the CIE Master's program, and worked with CIE projects in countries throughout Africa. He was instrumental in establishing the Global Education program at CIE that works to bring an international dimension to local school programs. George continues to be active as an emeritus professor, working with doctoral candidates who are finishing their dissertations, coming to Tuesday meetings, and providing the cheerful support that we all associate with his presence.

The award helps to finance the program of Catherine Mukimba, a doctoral candidate from Uganda who is starting her second year at CIE. Catherine is a former secondary school headmistress and is interested in teacher education and finding ways to more effectively involve communities in their schools.

As income from the endowment grows we plan to make other awards in honor of the careers and contributions of other CIE members. Donations in honor of particular individuals and suggestions of people to be honored are welcomed.
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CIE Receives a $50,000 Challenge Grant

The endowment fund has just been offered an exciting $50,000 challenge grant from Peter Higginson. Peter was a doctoral student from 1969-73, having been one of second group of CIE Fellows - known at the time as the "4-H Club." [Others being Hatch, Hagerty, & Hoxeng]

He subsequently returned to his job at UNESCO where he spent 25 years working in education. [For more details click on his name above.] Although he retired five years ago, he has maintained his professional interests and has recently taken on an assignment to design a decentralized model for in-service teacher education in Chechnya.

Peter indicated that his gift was to be seen as an expression of enthusiastic support for what he called the arguably very substantial accomplishments of the Center since its inception 35 years ago. He added that he hopes his gift may encourage others to, as the Australians say, come to the party.

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If ever there were an image of social cohesion across a broad and diverse group of people, the second mini-reunion and Fund Raising Campaign held on a warm Friday evening in May 2001 at CIE was one to remember. It was an organic, co-mingling of CIE graduates, current students, faculty, staff and friends of the Center spanning a third of a century. One could observe faces from every continent, smiles, embraces, old friends catching up on each other's lives, new connections being made, and above all a general sense of shared values and experiences.

The cohesiveness of the gathering, however didn't come about without help. In fact, getting the world savvy and well traveled CIE alum to come to such an event was another story altogether. E-mails and phone calls came and went for a good while. Alan Hurwitz said "If George Urch is calling people he knew "they pulled out the big guns", so he changed his plans and was glad to have come. "It's always great to meet people from the Center," he said. Also on hand to greet those who came were Anna Donovan, David Schimmel, Ash Hartwell, Bob Sinclair and Barbara Gravin-Wilbur.

As the event got started, David Evans tried several times in vain to bring some order to the more than 50 people gathered in the Kinsey Room, now including a picture of David and a plaque honoring him. Once the room quieted down, George Urch had everyone rolling in laughter with his time-honored story of the "simple farmer from Vermont." Mike Seppala, the development officer for the School of Education, referred to the rich background of CIE as a vibrant, living reminder of the values that characterized the school under the leadership of Dwight Allen. Mike announced the recently established Distinguished Professorship honoring Dwight and alluded to the fact that "CIE had kept the spirit and values of those times alive in its program."

DRE continued by stressing the richness of the experience at CIE. That's what makes this place special, but CIE is in a time of transition and a fund campaign was started this March as a way to help ensure the future of CIE. "There are two aspects to this campaign: having widespread participation and fund raising," he said. He announced that since the kick-off in Washington, faculty and former faculty of CIE had pledged over $20,000. One of the goals of the Amherst mini-reunion was to get those in the Northeast actively involved in the campaign, starting with those present. CIE alumni, professors and staff have responded enthusiastically to the campaign by pledging nearly $42,000 as of the May 11, 2001. He stressed the value of making contributions before July 1st, to maximize the income from the first year of the endowment, with the goal of being able to provide an assistantship for a student from a developing area in the fall of 2002.

Then a "Tuesday morning meeting" broke out! Almost immediately it conjured up images for David Schimmel, the Center's first director, of the gatherings under a tree at the Colorado Retreat where the idea of CIE was dreamed up. They wanted to have regular meetings, Schimmel said, "Thursday was the School meeting so Tuesday became CIE meeting day", and we've been having them ever since. At that point Ash Hartwell spoke up, saying "I was part of that first cast of characters in starting the Tuesday morning meetings. Thirty-three years ago, I found CIE to be one of the most exciting places to be and that is one of the reasons that I came back." Ash is now a an active adjunct faculty member in CIE and works closely with current students bridging the world of academia and the realities of educational development in Africa today.

The feelings of connection and commitment to CIE were evident from the comments. Jeetendra Joshi, now assistant Dean of Continuing Education at UConn said, "I'm delighted that you've started doing this", referring to the fund raising campaign, "because you may not know what CIE alumni have made of themselves." He gave the example of a recent 25 million dollar gift to the the University of Connecticut from an early 1970s graduate who had become a multimillion-dollar business owner unknown to the university. A reporter asked him why he hadn't contributed anything in the past and he allegedly said "nobody came to asked me!" DRE quickly looked at the audience and asked "Who are each of you going to ask?"

During the discussion, a number of other ideas were suggested. Carla Clason-Hook said "we could give presentations and donate the proceeds." She mentioned that she recently was invited to present at a middle school and later received a check which she could easily donate to CIE. Gretchen Rossman, a faculty member and author of several books, said "There can be other ways of giving," for example the royalties from the sale of her books are going to CIE this year. David Rosen volunteered to help out with followup phone calls and to contribute by helping to teach one of the literacy courses at CIE to maintain that component of the program.

But by far, the wildest suggestion came from current doctoral candidate Elias Moning, who said "Sometimes it's difficult to give money, but antiques, cars, and houses that are auctioned via internet can be a good alternative." He offered to donate a new laser printer; who knows this may even lead to the Center's own "CIE bay" cyber auction house!

Mary Jo Connelly, was more pragmatic as she pulled out her checkbook and said "In line with our learning philosophy of combining theory and practice, lets stop talking and get to the action." Others followed her example and by the end of the evening pledges of over $2,000 had been made with more to come later.

DRE closed the evening by thanking everyone and reminding them that there were some incentive gifts from Zimbabwe provided by Dwight W. Allen. For gifts over $100 there are small stone carvings, and for gifts over $250 there are some very attractive cloth prints from Zimbabwe–while supplies last.

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CIE Fund Campaign Kick-Off Event
Reported by Phoebe McKinney

Fund Campaign Report

Click to enlarge photo

At CIE, the words participation and praxis don't just refer to a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. They refer to a unique and extended community of people who are willing to show their enduring support through the praxis of contributions to and enthusiasm for CIE's new fund-raising campaign. This was the resounding message from CIE alumnae at the March 15th reception held in their honor in Washington, DC in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Comparative International Education Society.

The reception, held at AED in March of 2001, courtesy of Bill Smith, marked the formal kick-off of a new CIE fund campaign, whose goal is to raise $250,000 over the next two years. CIE alumnae responded with enthusiasm and excitement when David Evans launched the campaign by pledging $10,000 as a challenge grant to CIE alumnae to match the amount with their contributions that evening as a way to "guarantee the future!"

But long before DRE announced CIE's new fund-raising campaign, the atmosphere of enthusiasm and excitement was evident among the 40 CIE members gathered together that evening. The atmosphere was that of a big family reunion that offered CIE members an opportunity to catch up, hear news, renew friendships and recall fond memories, as well as to meet current CIE faculty and students. Many alumnae observed that they have yet to encounter an institution that is as unique, vital or "tuned-in" to the challenges of international development education as CIE. Repeatedly that evening, people remarked that it is the combination of special people and CIE's core values that make CIE such a significant and important educational institution.

Don Graybill observed, There is no place where the friendship is more enduring and the growth more consequential, than at CIE. CIE folks aren't CEO's. There are CIE people everywhere in very responsible management positions making a real difference in the world." Don was so enthusiastic about the reception that he asked if it could be made into a regular DC event -- not only for fundraising, but for friendships. It should happen every year!

John Hatch remarked Other international education programs have died or failed. CIE is unique and retains its vitality. It's a great resource! Dave McCurry commented, We keep coming back to CIE. When we get into the field and interact with people who are top-down and don't understand the Third World, we come back to CIE. That's what was so great about CIE "there were people there who ‘understood!'

These expressions of appreciation and support for the important mission and goals of CIE as an institution carried over to the portion of the evening that was devoted to the more formal discussion of CIE's new fund campaign. David Evans explained that CIE is currently in a five-year process of transition and renewal. Appointing new faculty and continuing to attract high caliber students from around the world is part of this renewal and helps maintain that extraordinary vitality and resources that CIE offers.

Mike Seppala, the development officer for the School of Education, traveled to DC especially for the CIE reception. He explained some of the many new and exciting fund-raising opportunities that are opening up to the School of Education. Michael commented that he had observed something special at the CIE reception–a passion and dedication to CIE along with a clear sense of the importance and meaning of CIE in alumnae's lives. Michael asked What does CIE mean to you? as a way of challenging people to channel their dedication into support for keeping CIE alive and vital.

The next part of the evening ran like a Tuesday morning meeting: Kick this off and get it started! exclaimed one alum. This is a great idea and it needs to happen, declared another. Every international job I've had since 1986 I've had because of CIE, proclaimed Ann Dodge. I'll give 25% of my earnings from my next consultancy to the Center, because I wouldn't be doing this work without it! Hire me! she only half-jokingly challenged the group. What about the future of CIE's leadership? inquired one concerned alum. At this point Sangeeta Kamat strongly assured participants that CIE faculty members are equally committed to CIE and the CIE community. She noted that she made a personal sacrifice to take her job at CIE because I've found a home where I could be myself.

Reflecting on the evening and on the nature of the discussion about the new fund raising campaign, Bonnie Mullinix commented that it echoed her experiences as a CIE student: That humility of faculty, who said, hey, I'm not an expert–you know more than I do. Few other academic institutions are like that. When I was a student, I was involved in program development, curriculum development, I sat on decision-making committees and we each mentored each other. Tonight again shows how CIE models ‘living the practice' and cooperative learning.

Soon after, CIE alumnae again lived the practice as they eagerly took pledge cards and wrote contribution checks and together, as a community, helped to launch CIE's new fund-raising campaign! Over $7,000 was raised that evening, with more pledges in the following day, easily meeting the challenge grant that began the gathering.

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