October 7, 2004
‘Creating futures’: UW calls state together
The UW is holding a party for thousands of its closest friends to celebrate the accomplishments of students, faculty and staff and their contributions to the region and society. And you are invited.
The free event, “Come Together Washington,” begins at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15 in Hec Edmundson Pavilion. It coincides with the public announcement of Campaign UW: Creating Futures, which has the goal of raising $2 billion in private funds by July 2008. To date, the UW has raised $1.14 billion toward this goal. Parking for the event is free
The formal program begins at 6 p.m. with comments from new UW President Mark Emmert. Bill Gates III, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., will deliver the keynote address. Faculty and staff are invited to attend this special event. A reception will be held at 7 p.m. on the pavilion concourse following the formal program.
“Everything the UW is doing today, from teaching students to improving health and fueling our economic future, flows from the support of the people of Washington,” says William H. Gates, Sr., UW regent and chair of the UW Foundation Board. “Come Together Washington is our opportunity to extend thanks and ask for continued support and generosity.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with students and faculty presenting showcases of their work in displays set up around the concourse of the pavilion. Among the showcases are:
- UW connections to Mars, featuring a life-sized Mars Lander, as well as a discussion of mice-in-space and Martian resource projects.
- Robotic dogs playing soccer in a student led project that has competed internationally in robotic soccer tournaments.
- A display from the digital animation program in the College of Engineering, a program that attracts students from a wide variety of fields, including art, architecture, computer science and music. Students produce short films and gain hands-on experience. They also learn from film industry veterans like directors, actors, puppeteers and lighting specialists
- An Election Day simulation game that can help individuals to become more shrewd voters, more effective campaign volunteers, or even better candidates for public office. Players learn about political parties, public opinion, campaign financing, election law, political marketing, strategic planning, and the media.
The program concludes with an interactive video involving UW faculty and students who are now in Beijing, Rome and Yakima. A public reception will be held on the Pavilion concourse at the conclusion of the program.
Campaign UW began in July 2000 with a four-year “quiet phase” and will continue in its public phase through July 2008. In the quiet phase, the UW identified a campaign name and a theme; units of the UW identified their goals, solicited leadership gifts and developed campaign strategy.
A $2 billion goal was established based on the needs and priorities of the university’s schools, colleges, programs and campuses to support students and faculty. Each school, college and campus is seeking to engage donors and friends in order to attract gifts dedicated to undergraduate scholarship support, graduate fellowship support, faculty support, program support, facility enhancement, and unrestricted funds. The campaign aims to add $400 million to the UW’s endowment fund and $350 million for facility renovations and new buildings.
As of June 30, 2004, $1.14 billion has been raised toward the goal. In 2003-4 the university received gifts from more than 92,000 alumni and friends, including contributions made by more than 1,100 seniors from the graduating Class of 2004.
“Come Together Washington” will be followed by the UW Third Annual Recognition Gala, an invitation-only event which recognizes the University’s most valued donors and friends. The gala will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Dempsey Indoor Practice Facility.
