KAMLOOPS-Major awards are always welcome, but the pennies add up, too. UCC’s Foundation, dedicated to fundraising for scholarships and bursaries on behalf of students, knows it isn’t always possible to help out in a really big way, but, just as students really appreciate a $50 bursary to help with the costs of books and living, the Foundation is thankful for pocket change, too.

So much so, in fact, that the theme for the UCC Foundation’s internal UCC campaign this year was “Pocket Change Helps Students.” The campaign, which urged employees to contribute between $.50 and $1 per day, ran for three weeks this spring, and raised $18,791, with another $3,662 committed by employees through the United Way Campaign, bringing the overall total to $22,453.

“Every bit counts,” explained Foundation Development Officer Karen Gamracy. “Last fall, the Foundation, in partnership with the UCC Board of Governors, awarded scholarships and bursaries to 581 students. Even with these impressive numbers we were only able to help 50% of the students who applied. Our goal for this year’s staff campaign was $20,000, and we got pretty close.”

Helping to close that gap bit by bit in a big way is Sahali Safeway, which has run a number of promotions over the year to help out UCC students, and continues to do so.

Three Sahali Safeway fundraisers are on the calendar this month, with all proceeds going to the Foundation:

• This Friday, May 14th, Sahali Safeway employees will be selling beef on a bun and a drink for $2, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm outside the store.

• A Sahali Safeway golf tournament will be held May 31st at Mount Paul Golf Course. Entry is just $30 per person and includes lunch. Call Carole Josephson at Safeway (374-2811) to register.

• On Saturday, June 5, the store will hold a flea market from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Those wishing to donate items can drop them off before 9:00 am on June 5th at Safeway. Items will be sold by donation.

The Foundation has one more pre-summer fundraiser in the works: inaugurated last year, the “Grad Gift Fund” allows grads, friends and family to make a minimum $20.04 gift to the Foundation in their grad’s name, with all proceeds going toward an annual award to a student who demonstrates financial need. Foundation officers will be on hand at UCC’s Convocation Ceremony, to be held June 11th this year, to take donations and issue tax receipts.

For more information about the Foundation and its activities, please contact Karen Gamracy at 371-5715.