The tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have brought an outpouring of support and donations.
The University of Connecticut’s Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund honoring those who died in the tragic shooting in Newtown has received donations and pledges totaling nearly $700,000, with contributions still coming in.
More than 3,000 people from the U.S. and Canada have made donations to the fund to support college costs for siblings of those killed in the assault, the dependents of the adults who also lost their lives, and students currently enrolled at the elementary school, who are accepted to attend the university.
“The response has been incredibly heartwarming,” says UConn President Susan Herbst. “It shows that people’s natural response to such a terrible tragedy is to find some way to help, and the transformational gift of higher education is a meaningful and respectful way to accomplish that.”
Hundreds of donors have used the UConn Foundation’s text-to-give option, which lets contributors make $10 gifts with a simple text message over their cell phones. More than 2,200 people — students, parents, alumni, and others — have used the foundation’s online giving site (http://www.friends.uconn.edu/sandyhook) while others have collected contributions at holiday parties.
One UConn alum donated $25,000, while more than $110,000 has been contributed by Hartford-area corporations.
Meanwhile, in Bristol, Barter Business Unlimited members and other trade exchange companies throughout the United States created an adhoc fundraising program for The Cove Center for Grieving Children that already has raised over $150,000 for the Connecticut based nonprofit organization.
“Barter Business Unlimited has committed to raising $206,000 in barter dollars for The Cove and its effort to setup a site serving the Newtown community,” said Debbie Lombardi, president, Barter Business Unlimited. “This is a long term commitment to grieving families that will provide supportive programming for years to come. So far, we have raised thousands of barter dollars and tens of thousands of cash.”
And Regroup founder and CEO Joe DiPasquale, who grew up in and attended the public schools of Westport just 15 miles from Sandy Hook Elementary school, announced they are donating the use of their Emergency Notification System to any Connecticut school, government agency or related private enterprise that needs assistance.
Although Sandy Hook Elementary School had access to and made good use of their Emergency Notification System, other schools and organizations in the area may not be as well prepared.
“If our notification and group communication system can help to contribute to the recovery process or to provide any level of reassurance for families in and around Sandy Hook Elementary School, then, for us, it’s more than worth any investment we can make,” DiPasquale said.
American Eagle donates
American Eagle Federal Credit Union donated $39,403 to the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s 2012 annual campaign. In addition, 16 employees volunteered 121 hours during the United Way Day of Caring event.
American Eagle Federal Credit Union employees pledged $21,099. The American Eagle Federal Credit Union Fund at the Hartford Foundation awarded the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut a $13,134 grant. An additional $5,170 was raised through the Credit Union’s “Wear Jeans to Work on Friday” campaign.
In addition, 16 credit union employees spent 121 hours painting, landscaping, and installing floor tile at the Eddy Shelter in Middletown during the United Way’s Day of Caring. The Eddy Shelter is an emergency homeless shelter for single adult men and women located on the grounds of Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.
The American Eagle Federal Credit Union Fund also awarded a $2,500 grant to Operation Fuel, Inc., located in Bloomfield. This grant will help Operation Fuel provide assistance to residents living in Hartford, Middlesex, and/or Tolland counties. Another $2,500 grant went to The Salvation Army of Greater Hartford.
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In brief …
The holiday season also produced some acts of generosity for those in need:
• The Connecticut State Police Troop H, along with Ambulance Service of Manchester and Aetna Ambulance, delivered more than 60,000 toys and an $18,000 check to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center as a result of the 16th annual Connecticut State Police Troop H toy drive. It was a record-breaking year for the Connecticut State Police Troop H toy drive, which was held Dec. 13-16 at Toys R’ Us locations in Manchester, Newington and West Hartford.
• Morris Controls Inc. a Connecticut based engineering firm donated food to The Southpark Inn shelter in Hartford. This year in addition to the usual food donation, Morris Controls donated toys to all of the children spending their Christmas in the shelter along with a check for $5,000.
• William B. Meyer’s fifth annual Holiday Bear Drive saw company trucks and employees deliver a thousand teddy bears to children spending the holidays in local area hospitals. This year, William B. Meyer expanded their reach to include Backus Hospital, Baystate Children’s Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, Blythedale Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital. In accordance with each hospital’s policies, these teddy bears will be distributed throughout the year to children admitted for a single procedure or for long-term care.
