The University of Guam raised $43,000 from 327 donors last April 8 through a telethon fundraiser to support emergency medical personnel responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The total more than doubled the original goal of $20,000. The fundraising event streamed live for two hours on the university\u2019s Facebook page and had been accepting donations in the weeks prior.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more pleased with the outcome,\u201d\u00a0UOG\u00a0president Thomas W. Krise said. \u201cIt was very uplifting to see our community come together against this common enemy, and these generous donations will go a long way in supplying our frontline workers with critically needed supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The money raised will go directly toward the purchase of meals, face masks and shields, hand sanitizer, gloves, and other equipment and supplies for health care workers in Guam.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone really got into the spirit of the telethon,\u201d said Norman Analista, director of development and alumni affairs and co-host of the event. \u201cWe had callers challenging their teammates, colleagues, and even business competitors to match their donations. That\u2019s the kind of positive energy and sense of community we were hoping to create during this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The telethon featured content experts from the\u00a0UOG\u00a0community sharing tips to help residents weather the coronavirus public health emergency. The topics included handling stress and anxiety, cooking healthy meals at home and grocery shopping on a budget, home fitness activities, home gardening, and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn times of uncertainty like this, it\u2019s really important for all of us to have answers, a sense of security, and a sense of relief,\u201d Krise said. \u201cAnd knowledge is power, so the content of our videos aimed to provide valuable insight for all of the issues people are having to deal with and how we can make the best of this whole experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event also included surprise musical performances by\u00a0UOG\u00a0students and alumni, including the\u00a0UOG\u00a0Latte Tones, Joe Guam, and Coco and the Way Cool Heroes.<\/p>\n
The educational video segments and the recording of the telethon can still be viewed on the university\u2019s Facebook page: facebook.com\/UniversityofGuam.<\/p>\n
The event was sponsored by IT&E, KUAM Careforce, and LSG Sky Chefs with program sponsorship from Docomo Pacific, the Guam Daily Post, and Blue Pacific Realty. (UOG)
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