UA Cares Team (L to R): Katie Sprague, Donna Knight, Griselda Martinez, Alayna Voutsas, Mary Contreras, Sonia Romero, Rebecca Ruiz and Jackie Leon.

The UA Cares Team at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health raised $15,000 in pledges for student scholarships and captured the 2011 Perpetual Motion Award for their fundraising efforts.

UA Cares is The University of Arizona's annual workplace giving campaign, providing UA employees with the opportunity to support UA services and programs and the broader community.

Donna Knight, assistant director of Development, led the charge and recruited 10 volunteers from across the college with a goal to increase participation during the 2011 campaign season.

“The College of Public Health truly deserves the campaign’s highest honor,” said Holly Ann Altman, director of Outreach & Community Partnerships in the Office of Community Relations at the University of Arizona.

“The UA Cares coordinators demonstrated amazing teamwork, strategic planning and follow through, and the results show it. Participation increased from 13% in 2010 to about 22% in 2011 with employee pledges reaching nearly $15,000 for the unit. Donna Knight and her team have done a fantastic job every year, and this year they had it all,” added Holly.

UA Cares was created in 2002 as a “combined campaign” in which employees may give to any University programs and services through the UA Foundation or to any non-profit organizations or Community Impact Areas through the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Since its inception, University employees have donated more than $3,300,000 to support a wealth of educational programs at UA and nonprofit programs addressing our community’s greatest needs.

In addition, many departments and University areas conduct special events to raise contributions and awareness of particular charitable programs, including student scholarship funds.