News and Events - Hutchinson
Center Reaches Halfway Mark
The Frederick Hutchinson Center’s $2
million capital campaign to expand the Belfast facility has
reached the halfway mark, leaders of the fundraising project
announced last week.
Since the campaign began last August,
$1 million in private funds – from individuals, corporations and
foundations -- has been raised to help create a 15,000 square
foot expansion that will house additional classroom space,
science labs and other facilities critical to the center’s
future as the University of Maine’s primary educational and
outreach connection with Mid-Coast Maine.
Campaign leaders hailed the milestone,
and noted that it had been accomplished thanks to the generosity
of many.
“We’re delighted to arrive at the
half-way point so quickly,” said Judy Stein, campaign co-chair
with Jim Patterson, retired director of the Hutchinson Center.
“This has been achieved through the
hard work of volunteers and the generosity of community
members,” said Stein. “The community obviously accepted the
words of The Citizen’s editorial board which said that ‘it’s up
to us.’”
The Hutchinson Center fundraising
effort is part of Campaign Maine, the University’s six-year,
$150 million comprehensive campaign.
Praising the “literally hundreds of
people” who contributed to the Hutchinson Center campaign,
Patterson said there has been “amazing progress to get it over
the halfway point. Now we look forward to trying to finish up
within the next few months.”
The total cost of the project is $4
million, with the balance coming from a bond to be repaid with
future revenue generated through the center’s expanded
activities.
The Hutchinson Center campaign is
being aided by a Unity Foundation $200,000 challenge grant which
was awarded earlier this year and matches each dollar raised
from other sources.
“Everyone has
been so enthusiastic and supportive,” said campaign volunteer
Betty Becker-Theye. “The Hutchinson Center has been the most
positive development along the Mid-Coast area in the past seven
years, and residents of Belfast and other Mid-Coast communities
appreciate the fact that people can complete undergraduate and
graduate degrees close to home. So much of what has happened at
the Hutchinson Center has been because of the University of
Maine, MBNA, and the Bank of America. People know it’s now up to
us to raise the money to build the expansion.”
Many
of the early gifts came from the Hutchinson Center’s Senior
College, which pledged $280,000, said Stein. Those contributions
likely set a positive course for the campaign.
“It provided
momentum.”
Senior
College has raised $184,000 toward its commitment,
according to Mary Frenning, co-chair of the Senior College
public relations committee. The 500 current members and the more
than 1,000 former members of Senior College have been solicited
for contributions.
“The Hutchinson Center is our home, so
we have strong feelings about it,” she said. “It will be no
surprise if we hear from many more of our members when they
learn that the campaign has reached its halfway mark.”
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