Advisory: Campaign for Michigan closing celebration

The University of Michigan will close its five-year, $1 billion capital campaign with a celebration in Ann Arbor Sept. 25-27. The Campaign for Michigan, which exceeded the $1 billion goal, is the largest fundraising campaign ever by a public university.

Media are invited to a number of events over the three days, some of which are open to the public and others by invitation only. The celebration is intended to thank all of the donors and volunteers who participated in the campaign.

Highlighting the celebration will be a presentation at the Power Center on Friday, Sept. 26, at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Indoor Track Building near Hoover and State streets. Hundreds of campaign volunteers and donors have been invited to these two events. A steel band will perform at 10:30 a.m. on the lawn of the Power Center, just prior to the ceremony.

The Power Center celebration will feature a multimedia presentation hosted by U-M alumnus Mike Wallace of CBS’s “60 Minutes.” Fundraising totals will be announced, and major donors recognized. A section of seats will be reserved for reporters but television cameras and still photography will not be permitted. Please note that the presentation begins promptly at 11 a.m. and no late arrivals will be permitted.

More conducive to TV and photo coverage will be the luncheon at the Indoor Track Building. Mike Wallace and U-M President Lee Bollinger will speak, and one wall will display the names of the more than 250,000 donors who have contributed to the campaign.

These two events are not open to the public, and media credentials will be required. If you are interested in attending, please request credentials by calling News and Information Services at (313) 764-7260 no later than Wednesday, Sept. 24. We can also provide maps, directions and parking information.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m.-noon there will be an open house and tours of the buildings funded by the campaign: Tisch Hall, Huetwell Visitors Center, Cancer Center and Geriatrics Center, Lurie Engineering Center and Lurie Tower, and the School of Social Work Building. Prior to the football game versus Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m., there will be a tailgate party in Crisler Arena. Also in Crisler will be a giant TV screen to bring the game to those who do not have football tickets. All of these activities might provide good picture possibilities. The same media credentials provided for Friday’s events will obtain you entrance to Crisler.

A celebration Sept. 25-26 to dedicate Tisch Hall and the Tisch Tennis Building, as well as to honor donor Preston Robert Tisch, co-chairman of Loew’s Corp. and co-owner of the New York Giants, will be open to the public and to the media. Activities include the building dedications and a symposium on “The Future of the Humanities” Sept. 25, and a symposium Sept. 26 on “Managing Professional Sports: A Conversation Between Bob Tisch and Friends,” moderated by WDIV-TV sports broadcaster Bernie Smilovitz and featuring a high-powered panel. More information on the Tisch dedication events is included in two separate news releases.

The sports symposium will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Business School’s Hale Auditorium. A special section will be reserved for electronic media, and a sound distribution box will be supplied. Please let us know by Wednesday, Sept. 24, if you plan to attend this event so we can ensure we have enough space reserved.

Let us know if we can do anything to assist you in your coverage of this important milestone in the University’s history. Questions about the Tisch dedication events should be directed to Debbie Gilbert, (313) 647-4411. If you have questions about other campaign activities or need general assistance, call Julie Peterson or Roger Sutton at (313) 764-7260.

U-M News and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan