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College’s Shack-a-Thon Residents Raising Funds for Habitat for Humanity

College of Management students are selling baked goods and College of Management t-shirts, and accepting donations. Among those buying their cupcakes Tuesday was Dr. David Smith, professor and head of the Department of Crop Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Shack-a-Thon continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.

The rains on Tuesday didn’t dampen their spirits, said Rebecca Smith, right, a junior in accounting, and Kathryn Donnalley, a junior in business management, as their shack was water-tight and had an awning to offer additional shelter. It was built with materials donated by Rufty Custom Homes, whose owner John Rufty is a member of the college’s Board of Advisors. He and a few members of his crew advised the students during the construction of the shack on Sunday.

Among the College of Management students who gathered Sunday morning to build the college’s shack was Beth Owens, who pounded in the first nail at round 8:30 a.m., with a little guidance from a member of the Rufty Homes’ crew.

Several of the students involved in the project spent their break time last Friday in the Nelson Commons area, in sleeping bags, with a glass jar in which they are accepting collections toward construction materials and the overall fundraising goal. Among those making a contribution Friday afternoon was Ira R. Weiss, dean of the College of Management.

The college’s involvement came about through the collaborative effort of three undergraduate student organizations: the undergraduate Ambassadors and Peer Leaders and Alpha Kappa Psi. The student organizers have begun reaching out to all students in the college, graduate and undergraduate, as well as faculty, staff and alumni, to participate in the project by building and raising funds for the college’s team. Representatives of the project’s leadership team stopped in at the college’s Personal Finance Club meeting Tuesday evening to talk about the event and encourage student participation.

Lauren Ginsberg, member of the Student Ambassadors and a senior in business administration, said the three groups submitted a ‘bid’ to participate in the Shack-a-Thon last week and were approved at the bid meeting on Sept. 14.

‘To get permission to build a shack, we had to submit among the top 15 bids for a spot on the Brickyard,” she said. “In one week, students from our three groups contributed enough money from our personal funds to secure that bid,” she said.

They worked since then to gather materials, funds, and people to build the college’s shack Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Brickyard.

“This is a giant competition to see which of the 15 shacks on the Brickyard can raise the most money for Habitat for Humanity,” Ginsberg said. Students, faculty, staff and alumni interested in supporting the college’s team are asked to contact Ginsberg.

Ginsberg said that about 150 students had signed on to take their turn living in the Com Shack.
NC State’s Habitat for Humanity campus chapter last year raised more than $26,000 for the Wake County Habitat for Humanity through the 2008 Shack-a-thon. The funds help Habitat for Humanity building simple, affordable homes in partnership with families living at modest income levels who cannot qualify for mortgages at market rates.

Photo

  • Photo above: Lauren Ginsberg and fellow teammates for this project spoke at the Personal Finance Club meeting on Sept. 15,

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