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by Sami Antaki
The Campaign for a New Millennium began in 1999 with pledges totalling more than 88 per cent of the $55-million goal. Helping raise the total to $48,862,813 were six-figure pledges from Abitibi- Consolidated and Pratt & Whitney.
The Abitibi-Consolidated gift of $250,000 was announced by its chair, Ron Oberlander, during last December's Faculty of Commerce and Administration Awards of Distinction. The gift, which will be used to support pulp and paper research initiatives, was secured by Charles Cavell, president and CEO of Imprimerie Québecor.
In the case of Pratt & Whitney, their $100,000 gift to Professor Wagdi Habashi's aerospace simulation project was an outgrowth of the excellent relationship between the two parties and some timely interventions by Campaign Leadership Gifts Division Chair Jacques Ménard.
Don Taddeo, Executive Vice-Chair of the Campaign, said, "The hard work of our volunteers right across the country has been instrumental in the success of the Campaign so far. Their efforts on our behalf should be an inspiration to everyone at the University."
Among the other gifts received recently are a $50,000 pledge from the Nathan Steinberg Family Foundation, $25,000 pledges from Standard Paper Box and Canada Steamship Lines and a $10,000 gift from the Zeller Family Foundation. The volunteers working on these dossiers were Honor Robertson, Richard Renaud, Louis Duhamel and Sean Harrington.
"We've reached a critical stage in the Campaign," Taddeo said. "Everyone is focused on the next six months and on closing
solicitations that have been ongoing since the fall. Many volunteers who have finished their solicitations have picked up more
dossiers to pursue with an eye to surpassing our objective."
