| EVENT REPORT 11.02.09 9:00 AM |
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| U.S.F. Announces Fund-Raising Goal at Pep Rally-Themed Party |
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The University of South Florida held its official capital campaign kickoff party on October 20 at its new Marshal Student Center to announce publicly its $600 million fund-raising goal. The event came after the school reached the halfway mark, a move typical in academic fund-raising, according to the university's director of donor and campaign events, Karen Ritter. More than $316 million has been raised thus far for scholarships, research endowments, and academic funding.
More than 550 top donors—many of whom have given more than $100,000 to the school—along with the campaign committee and prospective donors attended the pep-rally style event. "The theme of the campaign is 'USF: Unstoppable,' so instead of doing a more elegant traditional event, we wanted to be more contemporary and futuristic," Ritter said. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Swing dance students from the university's College of the Arts performed in the main ballroom before the campaign announcement.
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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 | The school's cheerleaders, mascot Rocky the Bull, and pep band added to the pep rally-style atmosphere in the main ballroom.
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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 | Showorks Inc. branded the illuminated bars from Room Service Furniture and Event Rentals with the fund-raising campaign's name, "USF: Unstoppable."
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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 | Showorks drenched the ballroom in green and orange lighting.
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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 | Simple green leaf centerpieces accented with tea lights topped the tables in the ballroom.
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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 | The university's chef, from Aramark, created desserts using school colors of yellow and green.
Photo: Joseph Gamble |
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The celebration began around 5:15 p.m. with a private champagne reception for the 60 people that make up the campaign cabinet, the colleges' deans, and boards of trustees for the university and the foundation. The group then joined the main reception where the school's colleges each set up booths showcasing their latest academic milestones, inventions, or newsworthy projects and events.
Around 7:45 p.m., trumpeters from the College of the Arts signaled guests to move into the main ballroom. Production company Showorks Inc. decorated the space in the university colors of green and yellow, as well as the campaign's signature shade of "unstoppable green," with uplighting, colored linens, and leafy centerpieces. The university's swing dancers and swing orchestra performed before campaign chairman Les Muma recognized the donors who gave $1 million or more to the school.
In a surprise performance, the U.S.F. pep band entered the ballroom playing the school fight song, followed by the cheerleaders and mascot Rocky the Bull. Each of the cheerleaders and Rocky held large placards with a number on them that when displayed together, revealed the total amount raised, $316,969,046, through the campaign thus far. Following the reveal, confetti cannons exploded and the band played the fight song again to a cheering crowd.
Guests continued to mingle for about an hour after the presentation, until the event wrapped up around 9:15 p.m.
Correction: Room Service Furniture and Event Rentals provided the four circular bars, not Showorks Inc. as was originally stated in a photo caption.
—D. Channing Muller
RELATED TOPICS
University of South Florida
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