Download the Summer 2004 PDF - Augsburg College

Augsburg kicks off campaign at community festivalIt was a day of promise. Blessed by 80-degree weather and a reprieve from rainshowers, the College officially kicked offAccess to Excellence: The Campaign forAugsburg College on Sunday, April 18,2004, during the Augsburg CommunityFestival. This inaugural event forAugsburg built community awarenessand fortified community partnerships.Neighbors, alumni, and supporters ofthe College were invited to join students,faculty, and staff in a campus-widefamily celebration for the campaign kickoff.The afternoon event drew more than1,500 people.Augsburg’s Camp Cruisers music bandwas instrumental in rallying the crowd aseveryone gathered on the Augsburg footballfield to literally “kick off” the campaign.Footballs flew toward the goal as abanner announcing the campaigndropped between the posts.In recognition of the $55 million campaigngoal, the community was treated toa 55-foot hoagie and a 55-foot cake.Everyone then scattered across campus topartake in the activities designed toappeal to all ages. Demonstrations, sportsclinics, author readings, fine art, andmusical and theatre performancesengaged people around campus.Young readers gathered at the readingcorner to listen to children’s authors RickKupchella, KARE-11 TV inMinneapolis/St. Paul, and ShellySwanson-Sateren ’82. Adults also enjoyedthe literary talents of English facultymember Cass Dalglish.Lute Olson ’56, flew back toMinnesota from his duties as head basketballcoach of the University of Arizona tohost a youth clinic for boys and girls ingrades K-12. Many adults on the sidelineswere impressed with how much theylearned, too.Murphy Square and ChristensenCenter busily catered to festival participantsas community partners and facultyand students drew crowds with activities,information booths, demonstrations, giveaways,and free food.Science experiments of silly putty,homemade nitrogen ice cream, coral reefresearch, and many other hands-on activitieskept the Science Hall active.The community clamored onto thefire truck driven over by neighborhoodStation 7. Down the street, medical personnelin the Augsburg Academy ambulancegave heart analyses and showcasedthe internal workings of the vehicle.Augsburg’s nursing department offeredblood pressure readings, stress level tests,and hand massages.Music streamed out of the cafeteria asbands DoomTree, Heiruspecs, andMedida performed. Reserved seats alsowere available for the Augsburg theaterproduction of Machinal.Minnesota Wild hockey playerWes Walz drew boys and girls into theice arena for a hockey clinic. TheMinneapolis Figure Skating Club dazzledthe crowd with their technique and abilitybefore the afternoon concluded withopen skating.The event was so successful peoplethroughout the community were askingfor the festival to become an annual event.A gala donor eveningSi Melby was transformed the evening ofApril 17 for a donor dinner and programMinnesota Wild player Wes Walz hosts a hockey clinic for youth in grades K–12.Rick Kupchella, KARE-11 weekend anchor and children’s author, reads his book to eagerlisteners. Author Shelly Swanson-Sateren ’82 followed with a reading from her children’s book.4