Units asked to "step up" for SEFA

By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor

The Zodiaque Dance Company joined unit liaisons for the State Employee Federated Appeal (SEFA) in their efforts to help UB "step up for SEFA" during the campaign's annual kickoff event Tuesday in the Center for Tomorrow.

The liaisons-faculty and staff members who volunteer to lead campaign efforts in their individual units-munched on "movie-theater" snacks and watched dancers from Zodiaque perform as they heard how SEFA and the United Way make a difference for local community organizations.

Lawrence Shulman, dean of the School of Social Work and chair of the 2000 SEFA campaign, told the volunteers that in order to achieve this year's campaign goal of $700,000-the largest goal ever for the university-the theme of "Stepping Up" has been adopted.

"We're going to be asking units to step up and respond if they haven't before; we're going to be asking individuals to step up and contribute if they haven't contributed. If you have contributed, we're going to ask you to step up and contribute even more," Shulman said.

He noted that the campaign has established a new category, "UB Gold," a leadership position for those willing to contribute 1 percent of their salary.

President William R. Greiner pointed out that despite lean economic times during the past decade, UB "managed to rise above the adversity it faced." Now, at the beginning of a new millennium, he said, UB is encouraged "about the way the state has turned the corner in terms of the way it's valuing higher education.

"And so I hope that in this environment, one more time we will step up and be the leader in Western New York that we have been. That can happen only if you put out the kind of effort you have in the past. I know that you are committed to this enterprise and that you will do that," Greiner said.

"And I truly do believe that one more time our faculty, our staff, our students-the whole UB community-will show how much it values the support that it receives from the Western New York community, and that all of us will step up and say to this community, 'we support you as well.'

"And there's no better way for us to show that than through SEFA."

Jane Ogilvie, regional director of Erie-BOCES I and co-chair of the 2000 Buffalo and Erie County United Way Campaign, told the liaisons that the United Way will depend heavily on UB to help it raise its "very ambitious" goal of more than $19 million, noting that UB's campaign is the "exemplar for fund-raising campaigns."

The United Way is making an effort to ensure that Western New York has the highest quality of life anywhere in the country, she said.

"And with partners like UB, we're sure to be able to do that."

Robert Bennett, executive director of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, said that not only is UB's SEFA campaign the model for such fund-raising campaigns, but also called UB the model university for community involvement.

"Here is where example after example, whether it's in family violence, drug and alcohol, elder care, early-childhood education, any issue affecting family life, you can look to the university for help and get it, and get it at the highest level," Bennett said.

Shulman and Greiner honored Bennett, who will retire from the United Way at the end of the year, by unveiling the new Robert Bennett Cup, which will be awarded annually to the UB unit with the highest increase in contributions