Internal fundraising campaign reinforces community spirit

To celebrate the successful conclusion of Concordia's 2009-10 internal fundraising efforts as part of the Community Campaign, about 100 faculty, staff and Board of Governors members gathered June 17 under a tent on the picturesque grounds of the Mother House of the Grey Nuns of Montreal.

Brad Tucker, director of Institutional Planning and campaign co-chair, announced that the Community Campaign and Shuffle generated more than $345,000 and a 39-percent participation rate.

Community Campaign co-chairs Brad Tucker, Director of Institutional Planning (right), and Kristina Huneault, Associate Professor of Art History (left), with Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth

Tucker then invited co-chair Kristina Huneault, associate professor of Art History, to speak and read excerpts from two thank-you letters by bursary recipients. "Such sentiments validate our efforts--your efforts. For a long time, I thought of Concordia only as an employer. But I've learned that it's a project of people working together, like you," Huneault told guests.

Kathy Assayag, VP of Advancement and Alumni Relations, thanked Tucker and Huneault, as well as and Campaign Advisory Committee members and volunteers for their commitment and dedication. "By participating in the Community Campaign, you set a shining example for alumni, friends and corporations who have chosen to lend their support to Concordia," said Assayag.

Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Judith Woodsworth added that the campaign's name is fitting because "we really are a community at Concordia. Among our goals at Concordia is to make the student experience a rich one. We can do so by supporting the university."

Woodsworth then introduced musician Lucas Haneman, who has just completed a BFA in Jazz Studies and received several scholarships and awards. Before Haneman dazzled the crowd with two jazz-guitar solos, he spoke from the heart about how the funding helped him juggle his course workload with the demands of a fledgling music career. "It isn't just about financial support for students. It gives us a source of pride and makes us believe that we're really on the right track," Haneman said. "It helps us remain thankful and remember why we do what we do."