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| Dean of Dentistry Tom Boran hands over the turtle to University Librarian Bill Maes. |
Turtles are notoriously slow and patient creatures. And waiting for a 18-kg concrete turtle to find its own way up University Avenue to its new home might take a while.
So on Wednesday, Dean of Dentistry Tom Boran made the trek to the Killam Library to deliver the United Way Deans鈥� Challenge trophy to University Librarian Bill Maes and his team, who bested all comers to emerge victorious in this year鈥檚 challenge.
鈥淚 know it will be in good hands,鈥� said Dr. Boran.
Dalhousie鈥檚 United Way campaign, which kicked off with a two-week 鈥渂litz鈥� in October, is almost at its goal, currently sitting at 89 per cent of the $200,000 it鈥檚 hoping to raise. There鈥檚 still time to contribute this holiday season and make a difference to valuable community programs throughout Halifax.
In fact, there鈥檚 extra reason to consider a donation: the original recipient of the top draw prize 鈥� a designated parking spot or monthly bus passes for a year 鈥� has re-donated it to the cause. All new donations made before December 31 will be eligible to claim the prize.
The Dean鈥檚 Challenge, however, is a done deal, and Bill Maes couldn鈥檛 be happier with his team鈥檚 success.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all the work of a very supportive and dedicated staff that was committed to getting the turtle here this year,鈥� said Dr. Maes, who actually initiated the first Deans鈥� Challenge last year. 鈥淲e had a really high participation rate across the libraries, and it鈥檚 great to see so many people contributing to something so positive.鈥�
In total, library staff donated $7,709.20 to the United Way in this year鈥檚 campaign. While other faculties donated more money in absolute terms, the challenge鈥檚 winner is decided by a mathematical formula that takes participation rate and staff contingent into account. Dr. Maes says that the libraries hope to give the turtle a name 鈥� still to be determined 鈥� and to keep it on display in the main Learning Commons in the Killam for all to see. It鈥檚 quite likely to also spend some time in Dalhousie鈥檚 other libraries throughout the year to come, and possibly even beyond that.
鈥淥h, we鈥檙e winning it next year too, absolutely,鈥� says Dr. Maes, confidently. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never leaving.鈥�
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