The Avery Point campus decided to add a little spice to the Connecticut State Employees Charitable Campaign drive this year with a Chile Cook-Off on November 4. "We asked people to bring in their favorite chili recipes, and then vote on which they like best," says Jeannine Vandy, an administrative assistant in the business office and who has coordinated Avery Point's charitable campaign efforts for the past two years.

It was Avery Point's first fund raising event for the state employees' campaign. "We hope it goes over well," said Vandy, just before the cook-off. "We're opening it up to staff, faculty, and students to give everyone a chance to participate within this very deserving cause."

Laura Bard, a United Way community outreach contact, spoke at a Stamford campus-wide town meeting to rally support for the campaign and to encourage people to give generously. "People are relying on aid from different service agencies; they don't have the resources to make it from day to day on their own," said Maureen Simeoni, administrative assistant to the director at the Stamford campus, who attended the meeting.

Simeoni has volunteered to oversee the Stamford campus campaign contribution efforts for the past three years. "We're aiming for 100 percent participation this year," she said.

According to Susan Zimmerman, administrative assistant at the Hartford campus' director's office, a low-key, no pressure approach sometimes yields the best results. "Other than the pledge cards we mail out, I put a box in the mail room asking for donations. I think people like that they can decide for themselves if, when, and how much they want to contribute," she said.

The Storrs campus has raised nearly $85,000 in contributions and fund-raising events for the campaign. The event series included a luau, '50s gala luncheon, a bake sale and raffle. Raffle prizes included tickets to the men's and women's basketball games, gift certificates to local restaurants, and a free parking space anywhere on campus.

Jennifer Ridder