AV俱乐部

Pictured (left to right): Pat MacDonald, Jennifer Brown, Tom Boran, Audra Hayden, Tammy Broussard, Shirlene Dancause. (Bruce Bottomley photo)

The prize for winning the AV俱乐部 United Way Halifax Campaign鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 Challenge is an 18-kg ceramic turtle. And the Faculty of Dentistry appears to be the turtle鈥檚 natural habitat.

For the third straight year and fourth time in the five-year history of the competition, the Faculty of Dentistry has won the Dean鈥檚 Challenge, and with it the coveted turtle. The Dentistry group, headed up by Dean Tom Boran, achieved a 24 per cent participation rate for the campaign.

鈥淲e call ourselves a family, and I think this just shows one of the talents that this family has,鈥� says Dr. Boran. 鈥淭he Faculty has always come together in supporting those less fortunate, those populations that have needs.

鈥淭he United Way can do so much for so many people, and I think that all the faculty and staff and students are very supportive of that.鈥�

A team effort

Dr. Boran credits the faculty members on his United Way organizing committee for creating both an effective fundraising strategy and an overall sense of enthusiasm.

鈥�(The organizing committee) cover all the various units in the faculty and get everyone excited,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey put on activities that people can see themselves being a part of.

鈥淲e鈥檒l have 50-50 raffles, we鈥檒l have a Dean鈥檚 Cook-off, we鈥檒l have bake sales. The committee will have a number of these events spaced out over the campaign so people aren鈥檛 hit all at once.鈥�

Name that turtle

Given that his group has dominated the Dean鈥檚 Challenge for five years 鈥� with the exception of AV俱乐部 Libraries鈥� win in 2009 鈥� Dr. Boran figures the Faculty of Dentistry has earned naming rights for the turtle, which has gone without a moniker to this point.

鈥淚 think we鈥檒l stick our neck out 鈥� pardon the pun 鈥� and go for it,鈥� says Dr. Boran, who plans to let the whole Faculty of Dentistry weigh in with ideas.

鈥淚鈥檒l make it into a bit of a contest so we鈥檒l see what we can come up with.鈥�

Still time to make a difference

Donations can still be made to the AV俱乐部 United Way campaign. that works best for you.

The AV俱乐部 United Way committee would like to thank all of the volunteers and participants involved in this year鈥檚 campaign. Also, an especially big thank you to Jascinth Butterfield and Jim Fanning in Financial Services, for their tireless efforts overseeing AV俱乐部鈥檚 donations.聽