Oct. 10, 2003

Contact: JoAnn Smith, vice provost for university outreach and dean of continuing education, (785) 864-4799, josmith@ku.edu.

KU, Mizzou to face off in United Way fund-raising competition

LAWRENCE -- The border war between the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri is heating up again -- this time for charity.

KU's United Way campaign will face off against rival University of Missouri next week in a fund-raising "Challenge for Change."

The challenge encourages faculty, staff and students to contribute change and small bills to stations in front of Wescoe Hall, the Kansas Union or Anschutz Library between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15. At the end of the day, the contributions will be counted, and the school that raises the most money will be declared the winner.

The Challenge for Change is one of several fund-raising events the KU United Way committee has undertaken for this fall's campaign. KU's goal for the 2003 campaign is to raise $225,000 with at least 745 faculty, staff and students making direct contributions.

The chair of the MU United Way campaign proposed the challenge to KU chair JoAnn Smith, vice provost for university outreach and dean of continuing education. One of the goals of the event is to give students an easy way to contribute to the campaign, said Kaelyn Fox, undergraduate representative on the United Way committee and co-director of the KU Center for Community Outreach.

"We created this drive as a fun way to increase student involvement and to increase their awareness of the United Way and its services to the community," said Fox, a Pittsburg senior in business. "In our minds this event will have reached its goals if the United Way is able to recognize an impact made from the KU students."

Fox and James Owens, graduate student representative on the United Way committee, organized the event, focusing on how to make contributions convenient for students. The Challenge for Change will be incorporated into KU homecoming events that week, which will help raise student awareness of the challenge and its goals, Fox said.

"It places the events during a time when students are spirited and active around campus," Fox said. "We hope to raise enough money to both beat MU and to make a significant contribution to the United Way."