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Fundraising campaign exceeds $5m target
The University of the Sunshine Coast's first major fundraising campaign has attracted more than $5 million in community donations.
To celebrate, USC held a special event on May 12 to officially thank the 271 organisations and individuals who contributed to the Building Excellence Campaign over the past three years.
Their donations have helped the University construct an impressive five-storey Health and Sport Centre, establish numerous scholarships and bursaries for students, and conduct campus enhancement works and other initiatives.
Businesses and organisations contributed 30 percent of the $5.071 million total, while USC graduates gave 21 percent, University staff chipped in 12 percent, and individuals from the general community contributed 37 percent.
More than 100 people attended the campaign celebration event on Tuesday 12 May in the Health and Sports Centre’s foyer.
The event featured the unveiling of a stunning campaign donor exhibit, speeches by USC Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Thomas AM and campaign chairman Tim Fairfax AM, and a variety of presentations by USC’s Health and Sport academic experts.
USC Foundation Executive Officer Andrew Pentland said he was thrilled by the strong community support for the Building Excellence Campaign. He said all donors had made gifts that would keep on giving to the Sunshine Coast community.
“The health care training facilities established here as a result of this campaign will play an important role in training the future health care professionals for the region,” he said.
The Health and Sport Centre contains state-of-the-art testing and research laboratories and purpose-built teaching spaces for biomedical science, paramedic science, occupational therapy, nursing, sport science, nutrition and dietetics, psychology and public health. It also has a gymnasium and a kiosk.
— Terry Walsh