By
Emily Severson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Campaign Arizona will announce its presidential leadership team and the amount of money it intends to raise on Oct. 6 in one of the biggest fundraising events of any Arizona public university.
"This fundraiser is trying to raise vastly more money than any university in state history, the goal will set state records," said University of Arizona President Peter Likins.
The exact amount Campaign Arizona is going to try to raise will not be known until the co-chairs and the leadership team get together on Oct. 6 and decide, Likins said.
An official goal has not been announced, but they are hoping to raise more than the $500 million, said Rick Frisch, the executive director of UA Foundation.
The amount was originally predicted by Likins.
Frisch added that they have been counting the funds collected for the past three years, and they estimated it to be between $350-400 million.
However, included in this count are individual pledges and bequests. The foundation has counted all the pledges even though not all of the money has been collected.
They also counted the full amount of the bequests of donors over the age of 60, Frisch said.
The co-chairs of the event are Jim Rogers, Karl Eller, Helen Lovaas, Nel Zuckerman and Norm McClelland, said Dana Wier, vice president of communications and public affairs at UA Foundation.
The presidential leadership team is made up of alumni representatives from all over the country. It consists of high-profile alumni, corporations and other public figures, she added.
There are five general themes that the funding projects fall under, said Wier.
The themes are a student-centered community, learning through discovery, better living, energizing the economy and global partnerships, she said.
UA alumnus Gary Shandling, the host of the Emmy award show on Sunday night, and Craig T. Nelson will speak at the Campus Launch at noon on Old Main.
The day will begin with a convocation given for all students, faculty and staff by Likins at Crowder Hall in the School of Music.
The Campus Launch at noon will be "quite a celebration," said Sharon Kha, UA spokesperson.
Instead of bells striking at noon on Oct. 6, the UA band will play "Bear Down Arizona" and march from four corners to the north side of the center stage in front of Old Main, Kha said.
Several hundred students, faculty and staff will march onto the Mall in matching Campaign Arizona T-shirts.
The celebration has been planned by more than 3,000 people, including 200 students, 100 of whom will be at the evening events as well, Kha said.
Representatives from every department have been invited to the events.
The students will be working at information tables set up on the Mall during the Campus Launch.
"Students have been involved in planning this the entire time, but 200 will actually be there for the kick-off on Oct. 6," Graff said.
Campaign Arizona is "very close" to getting the 200 student volunteers. The volunteers will be at the Campus Launch to tell alumni what it is like to go to the university today and how the money will benefit them, Graff said.
Most vendors in the student union will be serving free food during the day, Kha said.
The evening event will be an invitation-only dinner for people who may have an interest in making a major contribution, Wier said.
Not everyone has confirmed their reservations yet, but Wier said she is expecting about 750 people.
Shandling and Nelson will speak at the dinner as well, and guests will be entertained by a variety of performers throughout the night, Wier said.
Students have been invited to this event as well, and two students will sit at each table to speak with guests about their experiences at the UA.
"It is expected to be a spectacular event," Kha said. "It is an opportunity for the university to explain the kind of accomplishments we have made."
The event will be held outside on the west side of Old Main, and all of the events will be paid for by private donations to UA Foundation.
Emily Severson can be reached at city@wildcat.arizona.edu.
