ORAU Giving Campaign is Overwhelming Success Despite Economy

ORAU Employees' Contributions Up by 20 Percent from Last Year

Pictured L to R: United Way of Anderson County's Chair Leigha Edwards, Oak Ridge Associated Universities' (ORAU) 2009 Giving Campaign Chair Brian Cook, Community Shares' Executive Director Shelley Wascom and ORAU's 2009 Giving Campaign Co-Chair Eric Abelquist. ORAU donated more than $125,000 to United Way and Community Shares as part of its 2009 Giving Campaign

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OAK RIDGE, Tenn.— Despite the pressure of a struggling economy, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) employees have once again proven their dedication to giving back to the community—by increasing their total contributions to United Way and Community Shares by more than 20 percent over last year's giving. The 2009 contributions were the largest sum in ORAU's giving campaign participation history.

Donations to Community Shares increased by more than 17 percent this year, from $26,886 to $31,449; and donations to United Way increased by 26 percent, from $62,836 to $79,402. The total employee contributions from this year combined with the corporate donation of $15,000 brought ORAU's total giving to $125,851.

Andy Page, ORAU's president/CEO and director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, set the tone for the campaign at the kickoff event by making his personal contribution early and then issuing a challenge to his senior managers and the rest of the employees to give as much as they were able to this year as well.

Leigha Edwards, United Way of Anderson County chair, said that she was sure that "ORAU is second to none in their partnership with United Way, and as anyone who works with ORAU as a partner knows, the employees and organization are truly special." Community Shares' Executive Director Shelley Wascom said, "Community Shares member groups are about making lasting change for a better world. The commitment shown by ORAU employees in these hard economic times gives hope and inspires the member groups to go on, and we are very grateful for both the money and the vision shown by the employees."

Employees who participated in the campaign were invited to a closeout celebration in the Pollard Technology Conference Center. ORAU sweatshirts were provided to everyone who donated, and ORAU's 2009 Giving Campaign representatives, Chair Brian Cook and Co-chair

Eric Abelquist, offered speeches of thanks to the employees and organization for making this year's campaign successful in spite of the economic downturn.