Indiana Beta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Purdue University
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/907315
B y now, some of you have seen firsthand the first and second phases of work are complete for the 2017 portion of renovating the house. Things are changing for the better, much better, and we look forward to September 2018 when the job will be done. We still need significant financial support from all of you who treasure your time at SAE as I did decades ago. Some ask why we need nearly $4.5 million, and who was it that specified the gold faucets in the bathrooms (there aren't any). The answer is that much of the needed work is invisible once the job is complete, and a lot of "invisible money" is necessary. It's easy to see the new entrance and the renovated rooms and bathrooms in the north half of the house. It's not so easy to see the new plumbing and electrical infrastructure that replaced the 1922 original systems. Additionally, a modern, whole-house Wi-Fi network costs more than $25,000, and few alumni will tour the house and say, "Nice building, but check out those access points. Woohoo!" To the right is a photo of a fire equipment vault that WLFD required as an add- on to improve their ability to respond to a fire. This is a $75,000 photo, because that's what this The Fall 2017 A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE - The Campaign for Indiana Beta Lion's TaLe Invisible Projects and What You Can Do to Help Show Your Support for SAE Purdue Today element of the project cost. Now, the vault is covered over with new grass, but it represents $75,000 of "invisible money." We're in contract to purchase the property adjacent to the driveway, and we're working with our attorney to secure permission to raze the house for additional parking, which is woefully needed. Some have suggested renting parking for overflow cars from nearby churches, schools, or apartments, but such suggestions have been explored and aren't workable. West Lafayette authorities wanted us to have nearly 80 parking places, but we only have 25 with brothers overflowing to Quincy south of the house. The city has already attempted to ban our parking there, and it's a certainty such a parking ban will be reality. Buying this property and converting the lot to parking will cost more than $500,000. For what it's worth, Fiji has embarked on a similar parking plan. Campaign StatuS at-a-glanCe As of November 7, 2017 $5 million FundraiSing goal $2,426,384 in ContributionS 149 pledgeS to date Want to make your gift online? Visit saepurdue.com to make your gift or pledge today! So, with $2.4 million in gifts, how are we paying for the remaining $2.1 million? The old fashioned way—a big mortgage with Purdue Federal Credit Union. We raised house bills more than $1,000/year, and we're recruiting for a larger chapter to build a bigger financial base to fund debt service on our note. We need your support to sustain SAE Purdue. The more you give, the less debt we have to manage. We have a thriving chapter, and it's up to us to ensure they have a safe, comfortable facility like many of us enjoyed. Phi Alpha, Wayne McIntyre '64 Campaign Chairman (408) 930-1438 wayne.mcintyre@yahoo.com