November 18, 2002

When is the end not the end? The infamous UConn-Clemson basketball game in 1990 - when the Huskies won after being down one point with less than one second left in the game - comes to mind. Several recent victories by the New England Patriots also fit that category.

So, too, does the Connecticut State Employees Charitable Campaign at the Storrs campus.

"When I put something on my desk, I either move it right away or it gets buried," says Richard Veilleux, chair of the Storrs campaign. "With that in mind, I wanted our campaign to be brief. Long enough for it to gain visibility, and for UConn employees to browse the directory of charitable organizations they could give to, but short enough that people didn't lose sight of the envelope on their desk."

That's why Veilleux and the campaign steering committee chose Nov. 7 as the unofficial end of the campaign. But, despite sponsoring a closing reception, donations will still be accepted until Dec. 1.

"UConn employees have really come through this year," Veilleux says. "We've set new records for participation and giving. And every donor card we receive extends that record."

But, he adds, there is still one "psychological hurdle" he hopes UConn employees can leap - having 700 or more employees join the campaign.

"We've never topped 600 until this year," he says. "This has been a great campaign, and, by Thursday, we'd received contributions from 676 people on the Storrs campus. But I'd be absolutely thrilled to see another 24 people come on board to reach 700."

Beyond the participation rate, UConn employees have smashed the record for contributions, with the total reaching $129,056 by Thursday, well beyond last year's $111,000.

The Health Center had 237 participants, and raised $64,666.

Can Storrs hit the 700 mark by Dec. 1, when the end will really be the end? Veilleux thinks so.

"We're still receiving one or two contributions a day, so I know there are still campaign packets out there, under the piles on our desks," he said. "I have every confidence a few more people are going to find them during the next few weeks. Then we can really put this campaign to bed."

Employees who have buried their campaign donor cards too deep can obtain another by calling Veilleux at 860.486.3530 or University Events at 860.486.1001.