November 18, 2019 · 4 min read

Mister Rogers spurs Sheldon’s United Way giving

Alumni, Academic take lead in race for the Chancellor's Cup

by University Communication and Marketing

File photo | University Communication

Employees at Sheldon Museum of Art celebrated the United Way giving campaign by wearing cardigans in honor of Mister Rogers.

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then, there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

Mister Rogers

Sheldon Museum of Art walked the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s pursuit of the Chancellor’s Cup through Mister Rogers’ neighborhood.

During week three of the friendly competition, which is intended to spur faculty and staff giving to the Lincoln-area Combined Campaign for Health and Human Services, Sheldon staff celebrated Mister Rogers Day by wearing cardigans.

“We wore cardigans to honor Mister Rogers’ message of love and kindness to neighbors,” said Monica Babcock, an administrative technician with the museum.

A photo of the group is being used to inspire the Sheldon team to give to the Combined Campaign. Babcock said the image is posted behind scenes at the museum and features different hearts — pink for those who give to the campaign and red for individuals who contribute at a higher level than a year ago.

Courtesy

The Sheldon promotion is one of many unique approaches departments and units are taking to gather donations toward the university’s $400,000 Combined Campaign goal.

To encourage employee participation, weekly individual prizes are also being awarded universitywide and the Chancellor’s Cup will be presented to two campus divisions (based on size) that earns the greatest percentage of employees who give.

Through three weeks of the community pledge drive, the Nebraska Alumni Center leads the small-group division with a 100 percent giving rate, with all 23 employees submitting pledges. In the large division, Academic Affairs leads with a 16 percent pledge rate. The top five campus units on the division leaderboards are listed below.

In a clerical error from week two results, the Chancellor’s Office was listed as the leader of the large-group division. The office — which has fewer than the 150 employee requirement for the large division — is in second place in the small division with a giving rate of 26 percent.

Individual prize winners for week three, selected randomly from all faculty and staff who submitted donation pledges, are:

Gloria Brink, payroll business support analyst, Human Resources, “N150 Dear Old Nebraska U” coffee table book;
Brian Sabatka, production manager, Food Services, mini-volleyball autographed by John Cook, head coach of Husker volleyball; and
Andrea Terryberry, administrative coordinator, Lied Center for Performing Arts, ice cream for two at the Dairy Store.

Total giving through week three was $159,008.

Chancellor Ronnie Green helped kick off the giving drive at an Oct. 23 pre-launch with faculty and staff volunteers. Green and his wife, Jane, pledged to increase their annual $5,000 gift to $10,000. Last year, faculty and staff combined pledged nearly $340,000.

The campaign continues through Nov. 27.

Co-chairs for the university’s Combined Campaign include Charlie Foster, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and director of the Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services; John Cook, head coach for Husker volleyball; and Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

“Giving to the Combined Campaign works,” Foster said. “I’ve read to children at McPhee Elementary. I’ve seen Sudanese mothers and daughters interact in groups led by YWCA. And, I’ve seen families whose lives have been touched by the Malone Center.

“Your gifts are put to work making lives better.”