THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 1, 1996 TAG: 9606010209
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Charlise Lyles
LENGTH: 74 lines
May and June are gift-giving months, what with graduations and congratulations aplenty.
If you're young and about to embark on the world, you're probably receiving gifts. If you're older and praising the progress of others, you're probably giving one or two.
Virginia State University recently received an extraordinary gift, one that would give any altruist goose bumps.
Five years ago, the class of 1956 proudly bestowed a $10,000 gift on its alma mater.
Dr. Mildred Fitzgerald-Johnson challenged the class to raise five times that amount for its 40th reunion. The consultant-firm owner volunteered to chair the fund drive from her home in Philadelphia. And a few alumni put forth seed money for administrative and mailing expenses.
Then Johnson got busy.
Her initial request for $100 donations raised $10,000 in a matter of months.
After that the mail started.
``They came about twice a month,'' said Alveta Green, a retired Norfolk teacher and reunion committee member.
Each printout listed the names of contributors and the amounts given.
A strange and good thing began to happen. Each month, the amounts by each name began to rise. $100. $200. $300 . . .
``People in the $50 column looked and saw their friends who were doing just as well in the $100 column and they thought, `Hey, I can dig a little deeper and do better,' '' Green said.
She sized it up as friendly competition - keeping up with the Joneses for a good cause.
By March of this year, $50,000 was piled in the coffers.
Then, Green recalled, somebody said, let's go for it.
Johnson cranked up the bread machine.
``Some classmates said, `Mildred worried me to death. She kept sending those newsletters.' It made you feel like I've got to give. I've got to be a part of this,'' said Green.
Dollars flew from the pockets of physicians, teachers, college professors, two retired colonels, a New Jersey State Supreme Court judge, two Maryland state senators, Virginia state Sen. Yvonne Miller, Danville City Councilwoman Ruby B. Archie and a whole lot of others.
Dollars flowed in from as far away as the Caribbean, Germany and Australia, where one class member was on brief duty as adiplomat.
Some made pledges. When four classmates died, their families paid the commitments in full.
The largest single gift was $5,000.
These gift-givers help lay to rest the stereotype that folks of color don't give back to their own in a big way. But folks can give even more.
Most important, in this age of cutbacks and mico-scrutiny of affirmative action, more personal giving is critical. That doesn't mean, however, that government doesn't have a role.
People gave like giving was going out of style.
$60,000.
$70,000.
Cha-ching. $100,000!
Half of it raised in the last two months of the campaign.
During the five-year effort, not a single meeting or fund-raising event was held.
By the May 19 commencement, the check had been stroked for the Class of '56 Scholarship Endowment Fund. The money will be invested and the interest used to fund scholarships for years to come.
Class members marched in full regalia. Virginia State President Eddie N. Moore Jr. praised them for the largest single reunion gift in the university's 114-year history.
But there's a peculiar footnote: Since the commencement, Green hasn't been able to reach Mildred Johnson. ``That woman really worked hard,'' said Green. ``I think she's tired.''
But probably not tired of giving. by CNB