The Southern Illinois University (SIU) Foundation is almost halfway to collecting its fundraising goal of $ 75 million to help provide scholarships and other benefits to its Carbondale students, SIU announced recently.
The campaign, “Forever SIU: The Campaign for Students,” kicked off in January and will continue through the end of 2019. Its goal is to bring i $ 75 million, at least $ 48 million of which will go toward efforts to retain students. As of May 8, the campaign had raised $ 33 million, the school said.
“These funds will have an immediate impact changing the lives of our students.” Dan Korte, campaign co-char and 1985 alumnus, said, according to a press release. “We see the goal as being very achievable given the generosity of SIU’s current and future donors.”
Co-chair Camille Logan, who graduated in 1989, said former students and the community are welcome to help raise funds. “We will encourage alumni, faculty, staff and anyone who is committed to higher education to come forward and make a gift or pledge to this important cause,” she said in the press release.
The campaign is also intended to aid in renewing facilities and providing internship and career development opportunities. For more information, contact Jim Salmo of the SIU Foundation at 618-453-7174.
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
