Various Greek life organizations at Syracuse University raised about $6,000 for the United Way of Central New York prior to the LSU (3-0, 2-0 Southeastern) – Syracuse (3-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) game on Saturday.

About 110 student volunteers spread out Saturday morning at tailgates, in parking lots, on busy corners and around the Carrier Dome on sidewalks and at gates prior to the noon kickoff of the game. This year marked the 18th-annual Dollar Day at the Dome.

The volunteers wore orange hats and carried around orange buckets, encouraging fans to donate one or more dollars for SU’s annual United Way campaign.

The United Way of Central New York addresses “the most critical needs in the community, focusing its funding on services for education, income, health, and basic needs (safety net programs),” according to the organization’s website.

Everett Putnam-Mackey, a sophomore photography major, said she volunteered for Dollar Day at the Dome this year because she enjoys helping out in small ways for a bigger cause, and especially likes what the United Way does as an organization.

The groups of four or five students asking for donations throughout campus all had a common goal of trying to raise $100 per bucket, Putnam-Mackey said. When students’ buckets were full, they emptied them and went back out to collect more.

The students raised $5,934 in total, according to an announcement during the fourth quarter of the football game. This amount was raised in two hours and exceeded last year’s total of $4,300.

Dollar Day was a new concept to Akilah Ransom, a sophomore international relations major, before she read about it this year to volunteer, but she said the organizations behind Dollar Day have a special meaning to her.

“Back at home I used to do things like this, like spend time with the homeless and play games with little kids, so obviously it touches close to home,” Ransom said.

She added that her first donation of the day came from an LSU fan.

Dollar Day is part of an overall employee-led campaign at SU, said campaign manager Peg Northrup. This year is the 44th-annual university campaign for the United Way and is co-chaired by Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala and Ruth Chen, a professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and Chancellor Kent Syverud’s wife.

The full campaign is three months long and kicks off this week. Departments and buildings will have bake sales, Crock-Pot lunch sales and special events throughout the fall to raise awareness and funds for the United Way, Northrup said.

Northrup said she hopes to have raised $215,000 for the United Way through special events and staff donations by the end of December.

All proceeds will be used to fund 91 programs at 34 local agencies. Northrup said in an email that the campaign is a great opportunity for students to partner with the staff at SU to raise funds for a good cause.

Published on September 27, 2015 at 8:43 pm

Contact Joie: janacker@syr.edu