Syracuse University today established a relief fund to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina, a powerful Category 4 storm that hit the Gulf Coast of the United States on Aug. 29 and devastated the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
"Our hearts go out to those whose homes and lives have suffered the tragic effects of Hurricane Katrina," says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. "We send them our deepest sympathy, we admire their heroism, and we are committed to helping them recover and rebuild."
Cantor continues, "We are working through the Association of American Universities (AAU) to provide special assistance to the students, faculty and staff of Tulane University. We are more than willing to make similar offers to students at other affected institutions. I hope that every member of the SU community will find some way, as individuals or in groups, to lend a hand."
"We have many higher education colleagues who have been impacted by the hurricane. It is difficult to imagine or comprehend what this feels like," says Mary Jo Custer, director of student affairs and associate to the senior vice president and dean of student affairs, who co-chairs the University's Critical Incident Management Team. "We dealt with the Labor Day Storm, which is minute in comparison. Any relief efforts we can sponsor as an institution will bring some light into the darkness they are experiencing."
SU's Hendricks Chapel will coordinate the relief fund, with all donations being forwarded directly to the American Red Cross. Donations may be sent or brought directly to the Hendricks Chapel Dean's Office, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-1110. Cash and checks will be accepted; checks should be made out to the American Red Cross with "Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund" in the memo line. Questions may be directed to the Hendricks Chapel Dean's Office at (315) 443-2901.
SU's Athletics Department is coordinating a fundraising effort at the SU vs. West Virginia football game on Sunday, Sept. 4. SU faculty and staff, the SU Panhellenic organization and the Athletics Department are providing volunteers to staff collection points at the Carrier Dome.
Donations will also be collected at the Juice Jam music festival on Saturday, Sept. 3, and at the Student Involvement Fair on Sept. 7. In addition, staff members in the University's Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning are working on initiatives that will be announced in the future.
"We are grateful for the generosity of our community in response to the human suffering at times of world disasters, as evidenced by the overwhelming response to last year's tsunami," says the Rev. Thomas V. Wolfe, dean of Hendricks Chapel and co-chair of the University's Critical Incident Management Team. "And now, we invite donations toward the rebuilding of lives in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricane Katrina."
