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Show THE -87_TH_YEAR; --·_U _M _B _E_R-48- ----Hlf f f1Hiif lHdiM·i@f§ili·iiiif li,,...---M-O N _ D_A_Y_, AP - Rl_L_l9-, -199 -3 Area businesses donate more than just services BY NAOMI BAHR ThunderbiTd Scaff Writer "We receive at least one request for donations a day, and some days three or four," said Rick Adams, manager of Wal-Mart. According to Adams, part of being a business in Cedar City includes not only providing services for many SUU srudents but also working with the wide variety of SUU's clubs and a.ctivities. Campus elections, dances, and club-sponsored events for charity or otherwise require a certain number of sponsors to donate money or items for the activity. Cedar businesses have different policies conceming donations to clubs and activities correlating with the university. Major business corporations in Cedar are continually lauded for donations of many kinds. Different fraternities, sororities, and clubs keep them busy with a full calendar all the way to June. "It's amazing the amount of groups that call," says Adams. "l think it's great, great that we can do it." Wal-Man is able ID suppon these groups with a $10,000 budget approved by their district manager. This money is used in the matching grant fund, where they match the money earned by each fund-raising group who qualifies for Wal-Mart's donation. "We do Limit the amount of money, sometimes the amount is not entirely matched, but we tty to hdp where we can." After the fundraiser, the group must complete an application recording the activity, what it was for, and how Wal-Mart helped. K-Man is another major corporation involved in club donations. As department store manager, Renee Smith receives daily requests for donations from different groups, and these donations range from the Theatre department borrowing items, to amounts of money to help the group. Those wishing donations must first fill out a form with information similar to Wal-Mart's, then pass it on to the uGood News Comm ittee" who decides whether K-Mart should or can donare. The committee is d1e way K-Mart has found to help non-profit o rganizatio ns locally. "As a corporation, we have to donate corporately and can't do much at a store level. The Good News Committee was esrahlished tO work around the corporation's new policy and help locally," Smith said. The Cedar City grocery stores also get involved as local sponsors. Albertson's manager Arlan Fillerup reports that as a major company, most donation requests must go through the division office, but they do have a small budget set up for local ventures. The final decision of who receives funds depends on the activity and group itself and how much is in the current budget. The types of requests vary considerably for this store. "Anything and everything is requested, from eggs, to candy, to decorations, to food items," says Fillerup. Manager Sterling Orton at Lin's Thriftway receives at least one request for donations per day. The groups requesting range from campus clubs, church activities, or beauty contests, and Orton says, "We tty to help all we can." The policy for divvying out supplies differs a little from other corporations, as they are smaller and local. "The decision is just my personal manager decisiont says Orton, "I have done this a lot and can decide if somebody really needs it, and if we can do it we' re happy to." Rainbow Craft Manager Janet Chamberlain reports at least one or two requests for donations a week, and with all those she attempts to remain unbiased by centering on activities where large groups are involved. "With many individual clubs coming and asking for donations, how do you pick which one to donate to? When the whole school is involved and not just one section or one club we are more apt to help." Rainbow Craft provides balloons for Sigma Nu's Egg hunt each year, involving many children, and this is just one way they help donate. "We give a lot of donations without really saying, 'This is a donation.' We do give discounts on Large orders for non-profit organizations, or provide door prizes or gift cenificares for some events.n Sterling Orton seemed to sum it up when he said, "l think all people, all businesses feel the same, that as long as it's a reasonable request and a good reason, they'll tty to help all they can." Clara Campbell shows item.s from Puerto Rico co Melinda Orton, a student at SUU. The display was set up as pan of SUU's Diversil) Week and focused on the Hispanic culture. According to Heber Blackner, a member of the club, "If we understand the culture we can better undencand the people." Institute bestows building upon SUU A "new" building will soon be added to the SUU campus as a donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The former LDS lnstirute of Religion Building, located on the comer of 300 W. and Center Street, will be donated to SUU following the completion of additional LDS Church facilities, said Stuart Jones, SUU assistant to the president for university advancement The building was originally dedicated ,March 31, 1940, and served LOS students at SUU (then Branch Agricultural College) for many years. It was built at a cost of $30,000, of which $4, l 00 was contributed by Cedar City residents. The 40 by 86-foot building originally contained a social hall, kitchen, 2()().seat chapel and classroom space, with a recreational room and a furnace room in the basement An attractive modem building for its time, the lnstirute was called "the most beautifully furnished building of its kind in the West" by the March 28, 1940, edition of The Iron County Record. · However, due to rapid enrollment growth at SUU in the post-World War II· era, a larger facility evenrually was needed, and a new LDS' Institute Building was constructed at 650 W. Center Street. In recent years, the former Institute has been used as an LOS employment center, and chapel for some ofSUU's married student wards. The building will be released to SUU after completion of an expansion of the current Institute building and the construction of a new stake center on the 600 block between Center and 100 N. streets. Once acquired, the former Institute will be "tastefully renovated," said Jones, "to preserve the beauty and history of the building." "We would sincerely like to thank the LOS Church for their outstanding generosity, and continued suppon of higher education," Jones said. |