SECC campaign puts focus on caring

The State Employee Charitable Campaign is a workplace campaign providing state employees with a simple way to make voluntary, tax-deductible contributions to more than 400 different charitable organizations. Employees may join the campaign by donating as little as $2 per month in the form of a payroll deduction.

For the second year, the campaign's theme is "Choosing to Care." According to Sharon Norman, assistant director of business services and co-chair of the SECC committee, this year's goal is $128,000 in total pledges.

"The statewide initiative is designed so that people can help those who are less fortunate and support charities they believe in," says Norman. "At UNT, we have set a financial goal, but we also have a ‘caring goal,'" she says. "Specifically, we hope to have at least 34 percent of all full-time faculty and staff contribute to the program."

Retirement-eligible employees will receive a pledge/gift form and brochure this month containing a list of the organizations eligible to receive support. More information on the SECC-eligible charities is available on the SECC web site at www.unt.edu/secc, and extra forms are available by calling the business services office at (940) 565-2101.

Faculty and staff members should return their completed pledge forms to the director of their unit or directly to Norman in Crumley Hall, Room 182, by the Oct. 31 deadline, but SECC will continue to accept pledges through mid-November. Departments that achieve 50-, 75- and 100-percent employee participation in the campaign will receive special recognition.

Contributions don't have to end with employees' personal donations.

"Many departments are sponsoring a number of fund-raising events that will contribute greatly to the campaign," Norman says.

This year's activities include a celebrity waiter event that took place on Oct. 1. Also, the Eagle Student Services Center will host a silent auction of crafts and baked goods on Oct. 17 and a Halloween costume contest on Oct. 31. The fourth annual SECC charity golf tournament is planned for Oct. 20 at the Oakmont Country Club. On Oct. 28 the College of Music will host a charity percussion concert with proceeds benefiting the SECC.

For more information on these and other specific fund-raising events, contact the SECC co-chairs: Norman at (940) 565-2101 or Jack Becker, associate professor of business computer information systems, at (940) 565-3113.

BY PETER HOFSTAD paisri2@unt.edu

Other web references

• UNT's State Employees Charitable Campaign web site

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT Board of Regents awards construction contract for Eagle Point projects
• Homecoming is Oct. 16-18
• Professor to serve as guest researcher at CDC
• Princeton Review includes UNT in The Best Western Colleges guidebook
• UNT faculty, staff encouraged to contribute nominations for annual alumni awards
• The Club at Gateway Center opens for fall season; new chef brings new flavor
• NAFTA pumps dollars into Texas economy, but at border cities' expense
• Faculty Senate hears reports from Pohl, new VP for research and technology transfer

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