An Official Employee Publication From the Office of University Relations

Faculty and staff can help celebrate the public portion of KU’s third major fund-raising campaign, KU First, on Saturday, Sept. 8. To introduce the campaign to the KU community, the KU First University Family Committees will host a pancake breakfast before the KU vs. UCLA football game.

This will be the first event of its kind at KU -- a special campaign kick-off for the university family on all campuses to celebrate the biggest fund-raising endeavor in the history of the university. The KU First breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on west campus in Lawrence, on the lawn behind Nichols Hall and the KU Endowment Association building. A short program will begin at 9:30 a.m.

In addition to free food and a festive, family atmosphere, the breakfast will feature the presence of KU mascots, including the Big Jay, Baby Jay, Jayhawk Doc, and Jay Nurse. Entertainment will include face stickers and lively music from a Kansas City swing group.

Nearly 10,000 faculty and staff on all KU campuses have been invited. They include current and retired KU faculty, staff, and graduate teaching and research assistants and their families.

On behalf of the University of Kansas, KU Endowment has been organizing and conducting the KU First Campaign since 1998. During the weekend of Sept. 7 and 8, campaign leaders will begin the public phase of the campaign by announcing to the public the total dollar goal of the campaign, the amount raised to date, and the KU needs for which the funds are being raised.

Two committees of KU faculty, staff, and students have been formed to work with the Kansas University Endowment Association during KU’s third major fund-raising campaign. Called the University Family Committees, the committees’ members for the Lawrence campus and the KU Medical Center serve as liaisons between the Campaign Steering Committee and students, faculty, and staff.

During the pancake breakfast, the two chairs of the University Family Committees, Tom Beisecker, associate professor of communication studies on the Lawrence campus, and John Ferraro, professor and chairman of hearing and speech at the KU Medical Center, will be present. KU Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway and campaign chairman Forrest Hoglund will speak briefly during the program.

Parking will be available at the Lied Center and other west campus lots, and a shuttle service will transport students and faculty from west campus to the KU-UCLA football game at the conclusion of the breakfast.

Guests should RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 4, at www.kuendowment.org/registration.