October 21, 2002

Like the Little Engine that Could, the Connecticut State Employees Charitable Campaign is losing some steam as it continues its uphill climb. But, like that same train in the childhood book, UConn employees are capable of getting over the top and meeting the steering committee's goals for participation and contributions, the campaign for the Storrs campus.

"It's not unusual for contributions to slow a bit during the middle of the campaign," says Veilleux. "Traditionally, there are a set of people who will return their donor cards right away, and another cohort who wait until the last minute. My concern is that we've set our goals much higher this year and, consequently, hoped the early returns would be greater. I think we are experiencing more participation, but we have a long way to go."

Meanwhile, the lighthearted competition between Storrs and the Health Center continues to heat up. Three weeks into the campaign, Storrs campus employees are hanging onto a tiny lead, with $54,831 contributed so far at the main campus; Health Center employees have donated $54,693, according to Joyce Borkowski, chair of the Health Center's campaign.