UA Employees Craft Pumpkins, Eat Chorizo and Quaff Root Beer Floats for UA Cares

Dec. 1, 2017
A carved pumpkin decorated as a red and blue carousel.
A pumpkin crafted to resemble a Smurf and surrounded by Smurf figurines.
A decorated pumpkin, with hands and arms, appears to be eerily crawling out of a suitcase.
Pumpkins decorated to look like a Smurf and a frog prince, presented on a table.
A pumpkin decorated to look like the Wilson volleyball from the film "Cast Away" and a pumpkin decorated like a bumblebee.
A pumpkin with a hole cut into its side to reveal a sugar skull inside.
Refried beans being scooped onto a plate with chorizo and eggs.
People lined up in the basement of the Administration building.
Three volunteers standing at a table making root beer floats.

UA employees shelled out thousands of dollars for chorizo, root beer floats and the chance to decorate pumpkins during events held across campus for the UA Cares annual giving campaign.

The Office of the Provost held a pumpkin-crafting contest to raise money for United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. Entrants to the contest, now in its second year, donated $5 to enter (or $10 if they didn't bring their own pumpkin). The pumpkins were then presented in Administration on Oct. 26 for viewing and judging. Attendees received one free voting ticket at the door, and could get four more for $1. The event raised $405.

For the 18th year in a row, the UA Budget Office served up a chorizo breakfast. This year's fundraiser, held Oct. 27, supported the National Alliance on Mental Illness – Southern Arizona. The office offered plates of chorizo, eggs, beans and tortillas for $5 each, and raffle tickets. The effort raised $2,350.

Employees with the Division of Human Resources set up a root beer float station in the lobby of the University Services Building in early November. The event raised $275 for Ben's Bells, a local nonprofit that promotes kindness.

The campaign runs through Dec. 15. For more information about UA Cares, visit the UA Cares website.

Share