Telefund 2000 raises over $1 million

Telefund 2000 at K-State, reached the $1.2 million total through 21,266 pledges, including 84 pledges from Ford County worth $3,160. Telefund has topped $1 million for three consecutive years.

Pledge records were set in all nine colleges, for the university wide pledge total, for total alumni donors and for student participation during Telefund 2000.

During the 22-day calling marathon in February, 1,437 student volunteer callers received pledges from all I05 Kansas counties, all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. K-State alumni rank third in the Big 12 Conference and in the top 10 nationally among similar colleges and universities based on the percentage of alumni support.

"K-State's esprit de corps is the cornerstone upon which telefund thrives," said Gordon Dowell, telefund director and KSU Foundation director of annual giving. "Team Telefund's success depends on the campus community, alumni, friends and business partners working together to create the world's largest all-volunteer telephone campaign for higher education and to make a great university even better."

Telefund 2000 also received $32,350 pledged to the Parents Telefund Scholarship Program, which randomly awards $250 scholarships to Telefund student callers. Alumni, friends and businesses donated more than $60,000 in prizes to encourage and recognize callers, including a purple 1999 Plymouth Neon, provided by the Wichita Big Wheels. Additionally, corporate matching gifts generated by telefund could total $250,000.

The KSU Foundation Annual Giving Department coordinates telefund to provide scholarships and educational benefits for all nine colleges. The final total earned by Telefund 2000 will be counted toward the KSU Foundation's $50,000,000 Scholarship Campaign.