UAF team puts heart into fundraising effort

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
05/22/07

UAF photo by Todd Paris

The top fund-raisers in the 2007 American Heart Association’s Heart Walk pose with event co-chairs Judy and Steve Jones during a picnic honoring the top team. From left to right in the back row are Roberta Greenlee and Jackie Dashiell of the UAF Geophysical Institute. From left to right in the front row are Judy Jones, top male fund-raiser Pete Pinney from UAF’s College of Rural and Community Development, top female fund-raiser Marianne Freelong from UAF’s Facilities Services and UAF Chancellor Steve Jones.

Photo courtesy: American Heart Association

Marianne Freelong from UAF Facilities Services places a tribute ribbon on a tree in memory of her sister who died of a rare heart condition three years ago.

UAF photo by Bob Miller, Facilities Services

UAF Facilities Services raised more than $6,500 for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk earning them the top spot among UAF teams to raise money. Participants (in alphabetical order): Karen Amstrup, Karrah Baker, Jenny Barrett, Mary Farrell, Ian Fernandez, Ed Foster, Vanessa Garben, Bob Miller, Cathy Miller, Carolyn Mousseau, Kathleen Schedler, Nicki Tabb, Ray Ward, Jenifer Woodard, Linda Zanazzo and David Miller.

University of Alaska Fairbanks Chancellor Steve Jones, Judy Jones and the entire UAF team set a new pace for the American Association’s Heart Walk this past weekend as staff, faculty and students exceeded their goal by raising more than $42,000.

The event, chaired by Chancellor Jones and Judy Jones, is designed to raise money and awareness for heart disease and stroke research and promote physical activity and heart-healthy living. UAF employees and students topped their $30,000 goal by 40 percent.

The UAF team set a lofty goal for themselves considering last year the university raised $4,900, said Judy Jones. She and the chancellor encouraged university teams along the way and donated 40,000 of their Alaska Airline miles as an incentive, 20,000 for the individual who raised the most money and 20,000 for a drawing open to anyone who raised at least $100. Judy said the teams also made it creative and fun and people responded.

"I am just speechless," said Judy Jones. "I am so proud of the magnitude of university support, and I know how hard our team leaders and team members worked. Many of them feel really good about what they did, and many of them did it for very personal reasons."

Of the 89 teams, which participated in the Fairbanks event, university faculty and staff led 27. The team from Facilities Services, led by Marianne Freelong, raised more than $6,500, earning them the top spot among UAF teams. Second place and the rookie team award went to the GeeWiz team, led by Jackie Dashiell and Roberta Greenlee from the Geophysical Institute, for raising $5,000. Tanana Valley Campus raised nearly $4,000, taking third place. The top walkers, or individual fundraisers, were Marianne Freelong, Facilities Services, at $2,130, and Pete Pinney, with the College of Rural and Community Development at $1,000.

On West Ridge, Dashiell motivated employees by fostering a friendly competition.

"We had a big bulletin board outside the business office and put their names and red hearts on it," said Dashiell. "Every other week, I would put on the totals of the different companies and how much had been raised within the university."

Freelong raised $2,130 for which she received 20,000 air miles. She said she has personal reasons for participating.

"I lost my youngest sister to a rare heart condition three years ago, " said Freelong. "I do it in my sister’s memory. She was on a vacation in Guatamala and went to bed and just didn’t wake up. "| After that my whole family became very involved in stuff like this."

Freelong, who helped organize raffles and bake sales on campus, said she was surprised both by the number of teams participating this year and that the university was able to exceed the fundraising goal.

"I was stunned to say the least when we reached the goal we set for ourselves," said Freelong. "When we went over thirty (thousand dollars), I sent an e-mail to everyone"|I was amazed and proud. They did a wonderful job. Everybody did."