TULANE TALK

November 30, 2007

Good Morning:

As we enter the holiday season there are numerous opportunities at Tulane for us to help those most in need. The first will take place this Sunday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. when the Tulane women’s basketball team takes on LSU at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. Our team is asking fans to donate a new, unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots. Any fan who donates a toy will receive a voucher for a ticket to another Tulane women’s basketball game in the future. Remember the toy must be new and unwrapped.

Can’t decide what to give at the next office party? Please consider a donation to the Tulane Cancer Center’s Patient Relief Fund, which helps needy cancer patients. Your colleague will receive a card stating that a donation to the fund was made in his or her honor. Please send your contribution and the name of those individuals who should receive acknowledgement of your gift to: Keadren Green, Tulane Cancer Center, 1430 Tulane Ave., Box SL-68, New Orleans, LA 70112-2699 or contact Keadren at (504) 988-6064 or http2@tulane.edu

Another worthy cause is the Staff Advisory Council’s partnership with the Adopt-A-Family program. This program provides furniture and new or lightly used household goods (towels, bed linen, flatware, dishes, toasters, etc.) to formerly homeless families who are being placed in permanent housing.

Donations of furniture and household goods, as well as checks made payable to Tulane University with SAC-Adopt-A-Family on the memo section, are welcomed. Donations can be brought to Gwen Chavez in the Controller’s Office, 7029 C Freret Street; Susan Barrera in the Tidewater Building, Suite 2456; Judy Vitrano, at the Elmwood Campus, 800 E. Commerce Road, Suite 209; Robert Johnson, Building I, National Primate Research Center; or Cynthia Hayes, Alumni Affairs, 3439 Prytania Street, Suite 300. To schedule a pick-up of large furniture, contact Judy Vitrano at 504-314-2783 or http@tulane.edu.

Student Advocacy For Equitable Recovery or SAFER, a volunteer group started by two Tulane students to help hurricane victims rebuild their homes, is also seeking donations at http://tinyurl.com/2qyq5p

Of course, the gift of knowledge is one of the best gifts anyone can give or receive. You can help needy kids in our community discover the joy of reading by donating a book to the annual Book Giving Tree sponsored by the student-run CACTUS. To make a donation visit http://www.bookgivingtree.org/

These are just some of the worthy ways of giving both on campus and off. I know that, as always, the Tulane family will step up and make sure this holiday season is special for all of our neighbors.

Have a great weekend,