Alpha Tau Omega - University of Florida

the Alpha Omegan p. 2 www.ufato.org ATW Build-A-Better Holiday Fall 2017 We raised approximately $13,000 before ex- penses: • Monetary donation to Toys for Tots: $1,570 • Dollar value of toys of donated: $6,342 • Total dollars donated: $7,912 "Special thank-you to Renee Farrell from Jack- sonville who donated 85 Build-A-Bear teddy bears to this year's Build-A-Better Holiday phi- lanthropy." - Worthy Usher Cesar Sanchez '16 Block Party Fundraiser Event Coordinated with Greek Life to Benefit Jack Massey '15 Nearly $2,000 was raised at this event featuring food trucks and outdoor activities. Representa- tives from several fraternities and sororities at- tended. Gains Ville Shirts Gains Ville shirts were sold by ATWs with the profits being donated to a Brother who was in- jured last spring to help defray rehabilitation costs. $800 has been raised so far and efforts are ongoing. Purchase a shirt at getgainsville.ecwid. com or contact Will Smyrk '15 at willsmyrk@ gmail.com for more information on the cause. Chapter Honors Beloved House Maintenance Man with Trip to Visit Family Dave, the house custodian loved by the Chap- ter's active brothers, has been a reliable and re- spected member of the Chapter's staff for several years. Each year, the Chapter grants a holiday bonus to Dave, and for 2017, decided to make an even more meaningful gift that would afford him the opportunity to see his wife and children where they live in Jamaica. Much of the income Dave earns, he sends back to his family in or- der to provide for their wellbeing. Due to budget constraints, Dave is usually only able to visit his family once a year. By the time of the 2017 holi- day season, Dave had not been able to return for a visit in more than 18 months. Through an open fundraising drive including donations from 108 people, the Chapter raised $3,015 in one month. With these funds, Dave was able to return home for two weeks over With House Renovation Complete, There's Still Time to Make a Difference–Give Now ALPHA OMEGA'S PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS T-shirts being sold to reduce rehabilitation costs for a fellow ATW brother. Contact Will Smyrk '15 for more information at willsmyrk@gmail.com. (Continued on page 4) W e successfully completed the Alpha Tau Omega house renovation last year. If you've been on cam- pus, we hope you've had a chance to visit and see the ren- ovated house. The campaign to renovate was conducted in the midst of the great recession. During that time, many professed a willingness to contribute but declined due to a change in their financial condition. Therefore, 301 of 2,400 living Alpha Omega alumni gave a donation. While the renovation is complete, there remains over $2 million in debt. There is also a parking lot to be repaved costing $250,000. While we don't want to start another campaign, if you missed the chance the first time around, you can still help. Alpha Omega has an educational/housing fund with the Alpha Tau Omega Foundation. The nature of the fund permits you to make regular, tax-free contributions for the purpose of our Chapter's members and Tau Mansion's common areas. The fund can be tapped for certain annual costs and scholarships. As the fund builds, it can be used to fund needed capital improvements. So, let's do the math. Two thousand alumni contributing $100 a year is $200,000 a year. Regular, annual gifts to the Foundation will allow the development of a substantial fund, which permits a security for our Chapter's legacy. Of course, there are many who have experienced a nice recovery since 2008 and have the ca- pability of jumpstarting this fund. When we explored the wisdom of a campaign in 2006, the consulting firm we hired to conduct the assessment made this comment: "Never have we had so many alum- ni report such a positive, formative experience associat- ed with their time in a fraternity." They predicted a wide participation that was short circuited by the recession. There remains an opportunity to step up. I hope you will. Make checks payable to Alpha Tau Omega Foun- dation and make a note that it is for Alpha Omega Fund. Mail to: Alpha Tau Omega Foundation 32 E. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 Love and Respect, Howe Wallace '74 hwallace@palletone.com

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