State and University employees donate more than $3 million to meet important social service needs
Veterans’ Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth to be Honorary Chair of SECA campaign for second year in a row
SPRINGFIELD – For the third year in a row, State of Illinois employees donated over $3 million to charities. Today, the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer Helen Cashman and Honorary Chair Tammy Duckworth, Director of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) recognized the generosity of State of Illinois employees at a luncheon at the Executive Mansion.
State of Illinois employees donate to charities through the State and University Employees Combined Appeal (SECA). The funds raised will be disbursed through member charities to provide health and human services to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The 2007 contributions made by state employees increased by $148,670 from last year to $3.2 million.
“Through SECA, we help protect the environment, we help students go to college, we give special athletes the chance to compete in the Special Olympics,” said Maureen T. O’Donnell, Acting Director of CMS and Chair of the SECA campaign. “And as a nurse I am especially excited about the charities that help fight the disease and disabilities that affect so many people.”
Since its inception in 1983, the statewide charity campaign has raised more than $56 million. DVA Director Tammy Duckworth agreed to be the Honorary Chairperson for the 2008 SECA Campaign.
“Today we join together to recognize the remarkable showing of kindness and generosity from our state employees. Their contributions will have a great impact on hundreds of thousands of lives and the environment,” said Director Duckworth.
50 state agencies were recognized for exceptional participation at the luncheon. For the seventh year in a row, the Department of Corrections (DOC) was awarded the Capitol Cup for the highest percentage of employee participants of a large agency. For the fourth year in a row, the University of Illinois at Springfield was awarded the Chancellor’s Cup for highest percentage of participation for a university. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board was awarded the Governor’s Cup for the highest percentage of participation for smaller agencies (those with less than 1,000 employees). And SECA’s former Advisory Board member Margarite Faulkner of the Illinois Department of Employment Security was awarded the Lee Frost-Kumpf Award – an award given to recognize outstanding dedication, leadership and enthusiasm for the SECA program.
The SECA campaign allows state and university employees and retirees to contribute to participating charities through either payroll deductions or a one-time donation. Through the campaign, employees direct their contributions to up to eleven member charities, which in turn represent more than 2,200 charitable organizations:
| American Cancer Society |
Global Impact |
| America's Charities |
Independent Charities of America |
| Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc. |
Special Olympics of Illinois |
| Community Health Charities of Illinois |
United Negro College Fund |
| Community Shares of Illinois |
United Way |
| Earth Share of Illinois |
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For more information about SECA and its member charities, log on to the SECA web site at www.secaillinois.org
The 2008 SECA campaign dates are September 19 through November 14, 2008. |
