December 3, 2001

Fifties Luncheon to Wrap Up 2001 Charitable Campaign
A 1950s-style luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 6, to conclude the 2001 Connecticut State Employees Charitable Campaign. The fourth annual sock-hop, the closing event for this year's campaign, will be held in the Student Union Ballroom. It will feature a jukebox loaded with 1950s-era songs, foot-long hot dogs, sloppy Joe's, root beer floats and more, for only $3.99. Participants who wear clothes appropriate to the era receive $1 off.

Also during the luncheon, nearly two dozen door prizes will be raffled, including a pearl bracelet donated by the Axler Group, two gift certificates for the Altnaveigh Inn donated by UCPEA, gift certificates from Cavey's and Pagani's restaurants in Manchester and from the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the UConn Co-op, and the Dairy Bar, a "Chauffeur for the Day" provided by Transportation Services, and more. To date, more than $86,000 has been contributed to the campaign by UConn employees. To help reach the goal of $125,000, employees should return their CSECC forms to University Events, U-3185, by Dec. 14.

Donations, Volunteers Sought for Holiday Food Drive
In the spirit of the holidays, the UConn Nutrition Club is sponsoring a food drive for the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic.

The club, in conjunction with the nutritional sciences department and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be collecting donations from Dec. 5 through Dec. 12. Boxes will be located in the Young, Jones, and Agricultural Biotechnology buildings, and the UConn Co-op.

The 15 student members of the club held their first food drive last year. Dean Kirklyn Kerr agreed to help by making the drive part of his annual holiday luncheon. His guests were asked to bring a donation.

"We were surprised and overwhelmed by their response, so this year we've added more donation sites," says Maryann Morris, nutritional sciences foods lab manager and co-advisor of the club.

The Co-op has agreed to collect food, and all proceeds from the holiday gift wrapping table will be donated to the effort. Paul Doyle, director of the soup kitchen, was thrilled to hear of the impending assistance. His group expects to put together nearly 300 gift baskets this year, as well as serving a Christmas dinner on Dec. 21 and a brunch on Christmas Day. He says the greatest needs are one-can meals, such as chili, beef stew, or ravioli, and personal care items.

Other suggested donations include: pasta, cereal, muffin, cake and pancake mixes, taco shells, canned fruits and vegetables, spaghetti sauce, grated cheese, canned or boxed juices (100 percent juice), canned or dry milk, dried or canned soups, peanut butter, baby food, bottled water, condiments, herbs, coffee and tea, dish detergent, paper towels, toilet paper and sponges.

For more information about the food drive, call (860) 486-3605. To volunteer at the Covenant Soup Kitchen, please call (860) 423-1643.

Volunteers Invited to Help Out During Midnight Breakfast
Faculty and staff are invited to cook, serve and clean up after a Midnight Breakfast for students that will take place in the South Campus dining hall on Dec. 13-14.

Volunteers are asked to arrive by 9:30 p.m. in the Community Room on the first floor of Rome Hall in Building D of the South Campus complex to receive their assignments.

The breakfast, which begins at 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 and ends at 12:30 a.m. the next morning, gives a break to students studying for final examinations that begin Dec. 14.

Last semester more than 4,000 students and over 120 faculty and staff participated in the midnight breakfast.

The event, which has become an end-of-semester tradition at UConn, is an opportunity for students to interact with faculty and staff in an informal setting before the end of the semester.

To volunteer, contact the office of the vice chancellor for student affairs at (860) 486-2265 or via e-mail: vcsastudent@dominomail.uconn.edu by Dec. 9.