OCOB Ann Rep 07-08 - Orfalea College of Business - Cal Poly San ...

COMMUNITYThe Cal PolyWheelchair Foundationraises over $90,000The 2007-2008 Cal Poly WheelchairFoundation raised over $90,000this year to send wheelchairs andaid to Africa and Peru. The teamtook a distribution trip to Peru overthe summer.In conjunction with four SanLuis Obispo County Rotary clubs, andwith support from Cal Poly’s Greekcommunity, local businesses, familiesand friends, the Cal Poly teamwill distribute more than 100 wheelchairsin Malawi, Africa in spring2009, and build a water well andcreate an educational endowment ofmore than $50,000 for orphanedchildren in the country.The Cal Poly team is the firstcollegiate chapter of the WheelchairFoundation, a nonprofit organizationleading an international effort todeliver a wheelchair to every man,woman, and child on the planet whoneeds one but cannot afford one. It isA happy Peruvian wheelchair recipient withJoshua Burroughs, 2007-08 project managerfor the Cal Poly Wheelchair Foundationestimated that over 100 million of theworld’s citizens are without mobility.The Cal Poly Chapter wasfounded in 2001 by Marketing AreaChair Lynn Metcalf to provide studentsin the business program anopportunity to use their skills towarda cause rather than a product orservice. After hearing WheelchairFoundation founder Ken Behringspeak at Cal Poly about his journeyof discovering the need for mobilityworldwide, Metcalf felt compelled tobring a project to the college thatenabled students to work for a nonprofitorganization and learn thebusiness of giving back.“It’s impossible to see the needand not be motivated to help,” statesMetcalf. “The gift of a wheelchairprovides access to opportunity andhelps relieve a family’s burden.”In April, the Cal Poly WheelchairFoundation team hosted its 7thannual Gala Event, which raisedmore than $50,000.The Rotary clubs’ sponsorshipof the Foundation’s numerous eventsplayed an important part in thisyear’s fundraising success, as didthe support of Cal Poly’s Greeks,who raised over $10,000 to helpsend wheelchairs to Malawi.For information, e-mail 2008-09Cal Poly Wheelchair FoundationProject Manager Helya Naghibi athnaghibi@calpoly.edu.Graduates of the 1990s: Paving the way for student success with class scholarship initiativeThe Orfalea College of Business isproud to introduce the first commemorativeclass scholarship initiativein the history of the college.The classes of the 1990s arepaving the way for the success offuture Orfalea College students byestablishing 10 new scholarships,one in honor of each class of the ’90s.“These scholarships will be usedto recruit and support exceptionalfreshmen in their academic pursuitsat the Orfalea College of Business,”explains Beth Brenner, assistantdirector of advancement. “By offeringscholarship opportunities, thecollege is able to attract outstandingstudents who might choose to attendanother university without thisfinancial support. In addition, thesehigh-caliber students raise the bar ofperformance among their peers,thereby enriching the educationalexperience within the Orfalea Collegeof Business.”The goal of the college is toestablish a $100,000 endowed scholarshipin honor of each class of the1990s through individual gifts andmatching funds. This group of 1990sgraduates is working collectively toraise $50,000 per class scholarship,with the college matching individualgifts dollar for dollar up to $50,000per scholarship. Ultimately, awardsfrom each new scholarship willsupport outstanding students duringtheir four-year career at Cal Poly.The initiative is already underway,and leaders from the classes of1993, 1995, 1997 and 1998 havepledged their support.If you are an alumnus oralumna of the Orfalea College ofBusiness from the 1990s, or simplybelieve in supporting students,please join this effort to invest in thestudents of today in order to growthe leaders of tomorrow. To make asecure donation online to any of the1990s class scholarships, visitwww.giving.calpoly.edu, click on“Make a Donation Now,” and selectthe scholarship from the OrfaleaCollege of Business drop-down menu.To become a leader in thecollege and within your class, and tohelp pave the way for student success,contact Beth Brenner at 805.756.2874or bbrenner@calpoly.edu.ORFALEA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ❚ 47