Donors to The University of Texas at Dallas continued to break records during the fifth annual Comets Giving Days on May 26 and 27. Nearly $1.4 million was raised from more than 2,800 gifts to benefit over 100 campus groups.
The single largest gift came from Marilyn and Jerry Comer MS’77. The couple contributed $500,000 to create a new endowment supporting the Jerry and Marilyn Comer Photography Collection, an archive of nearly 2,000 photos, books and periodicals documenting American life from the mid- to late-20th century. The Comers had earlier donated the collection to UT Dallas, and their new gift will provide support for it in perpetuity.
“Each year, UT Dallas brings in a visiting artist selected by the School of Arts and Humanities, usually a famous photographer who will give a lecture, lead classes and conduct portfolio reviews with students,” Jerry Comer said. “Our donation will fund these visits, as well as future acquisitions, the collection’s director and a student researcher who will work with the collection.”
Dozens of challenges and matching gift opportunities boosted individual donations throughout Comets Giving Days. The Academic Bridge Program, Undergraduate Success Scholars, Center for BrainHealth, Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies and the volleyball program were among the groups finishing at the top of the giving leaderboards and earning bonus funds for their causes.
Special efforts were made this year to support the Comet Cupboard, which has been operating near the limits of its resources for the last year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the on-campus food pantry expanded its mission to meet increased need throughout the UT Dallas community. In addition to distributing significantly more items than in pre-pandemic years, the Comet Cupboard also began distributing fresh food for the first time in its history. As heightened usage continued through the spring semester — serving twice as many students per week compared to 2020 — Comets Giving Days support came at a critical time.
Amanda Pritchard, outreach and digital media events specialist for the Office of Information Technology, was among those who supported the Comet Cupboard during Comets Giving Days.
“Hunger should not be part of the college curriculum,” Pritchard said. “After an already daunting year facing a worldwide pandemic, students endured pay cuts, job losses and financial instability. The Comet Cupboard ensured that students had the provisions they needed so that they could stay focused on academics and be fed not simply with food, but with compassion and understanding. If we all could be fueled by the model shown by Comet Cupboard, imagine the impact that could have on students and the futures they will develop.”
Altogether, 267 gifts for a total of $45,412 were made to the food pantry. An on-campus food drive also helped replenish the Comet Cupboard’s pantry with over 3,000 nonperishable items.
“We’re glad that we were able to expand our mission over the last year,” said Hillary Beauchamp Campbell, director of undergraduate programs in the Office of Undergraduate Education. “The Comet Cupboard is at a crossroads, and we will use these funds to support much-needed improvements to staffing, space, refrigeration capacity and continuing a new partnership with the North Texas Food Bank that allows us to procure items that students need at a discount.”