MU retirees donate nearly $2.5 million to University of Missouri
MU retirees donate nearly $2.5 million to University of Missouri
By Lauren Puckett
The MU Retirees Association gifted a check of $2,495,672 to the University of Missouri May 22 at the Chancellor’s Retirees luncheon in Reynolds Alumni Center on the MU campus.
The donation was organized as part of the annual “It’s My Mizzou” campaign.
MURA, composed of more than 800 MU faculty and staff retirees, organizes volunteer efforts, program donations and event support for the university. Nearly 350 retirees were in attendance at the luncheon, according to a press release by Mark Barna, the Mizzou News strategist.
“This is the most engaged group of retirees I have seen,” Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said.
Several MURA members were honored with awards during the course of the luncheon. George Kennedy, who retired as managing editor of the Columbia Missourian in 2001, was honored with the title of Faculty Retiree of the Year. Susan Turner, a former School of Medicine Department of Child Health employee, was awarded Staff Retiree of the Year.
Both Kennedy and Turner have kept busy with volunteer and philanthropy work during their retirement years. Since 2001, Kennedy has volunteered his time at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. Meanwhile, Turner spent 10 years coordinating garment and toy collection for The Container Project, a nonprofit organization that ships collection containers to the poor in Nicaragua.
MURA was established in 1990 to represent the interests of the retired MU community and continue their involvement in MU events. MURA regularly meets with campus administrators to oversee new and ongoing programs, while also assisting retirees with important issues such as pensions and insurance. Membership in MURA is open to all University of Missouri staff and faculty who are 55 years or older and vested in the retirement plan, according to the MURA website.
During the luncheon, Loftin thanked association members for their continued dedication to the university.