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NATION [he battalion Wednesday, January 21, 2004 Salvation Army to get record donation c rom estate of McDonald’s heiress By Hope Yen THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I WASHINGTON —The charity famous for its red Christmas ket- Is is getting a record donation from the woman behind the golden Iches. I The estate of Joan Kroc, the McDonald’s heiress, said Tuesday it ■ giving an estimated $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army to build Immunity centers across the country. It’s the largest single dona- In ever given to a charitable organization. I The Salvation Army, which promises “soup, soap and salvation,” /; ^ a favorite of her husband, Ray Kroc, who died in 1984. He was fcell-ringer for the charity in the 1950s and ’60s. “He used to bring Iffee and hamburgers to kettle workers,” said W. Todd Bassett, i;itional commander of the organization. I The exact size of the gift won’t be known until administration of vi >c’s estate is complete, which could take several months. I “We are obviously thrilled, but genuinely humbled by the excep- ii nal generosity of Joan Kroc,” said Bassett. “We recognize the leep sense of trust she has placed into our hands with this gift.” I The money will be used to build about 25 to 30 community cen- e^ across the country similar to the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. That facility opened in San Diego in June 2002 it er a $92 million gift by Kroc to the Salvation Army. I The 12-acre recreation and cultural arts center serves about 6,600 numbers, who participate in classes such as skating, swimming and ;\ nnastics. The goal. Kroc remarked at the time, was to create a )L e where youths can reach their full potential and “learn of each )ther.” I Kroc was the widow of Ray Kroc, who founded McDonald’s rorp. in 1955. A noted philanthropist, she gave away hundreds of millions of dollars to promote world peace, education, health care Id the arts. I Mrs. Kroc died (3ct. 12 and bequeathed $200 million to National Alblic Radio and $50 million apiece to peace institutes at the uni- /e sities of Notre Dame and San Diego that bear her name. Other organizations and charities also received millions of dollars. ■ Kroc’s gift to the Salvation Army is the ninth biggest ever to a ii nprofit organization, the Salvation Army said. The largest ever a; s Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates’ $6 billion donation in 1999 :o his own philanthropic group, the Bill and Melinda Gates Fo nidation. I The Salvation Army, which began providing services in 1880, operates about 9,000 centers, including soup kitchens, addiction etovery centers and disaster assistance shelters. Its leaders are on ined ministers and receive about $50,000 annually in salary, lousing and benefits, a spokesman for the charity said. Salvation Army gets record donation The estate of Joan B. Kroc, widow of the founder of McDonald’s Corp., is giving the largest gift ever to a charity - $1.5 billion to build and operate Salvation Army community centers across the United States. The Ray and Joan Kroc Corp Community Center in San Diego which was built from a $92 million Kroc donation in 1998, is the model for the centers. Half of the money will be used to build the centers and the other half will be used to set up an endowment to operate them. Other Joan B. Kroc estate donations in 2003 National Public Radio $200 million Ronald McDonald House Charities $60 million University of Notre Dame’s peace-studies institute UC San Diego’s peace-studies institute $50 million $50 million SOURCES: Salvation Army; The Chronicle of Philanthropy AP Kroc’s gift comes at a time when many charities are strug gling to attract money. While donations are showing a bit of an uptick following a l.2 percent decline in 2002, a strong pickup in gift-giving isn’t usually seen until an economic rebound is well under way. “This is very significant,” said Stacy Palmer, editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. “Organizations like the Salvation Army don’t usually get big billion-dollar gifts. There have been cuts in state and federal budgets — this is a group that relies on government as well as private donations.” The Alexandria, Va.-based charity took in about $2.3 billion last year. About 83 cents of every dollar donated, or $1.9 billion, is devot ed to program services, according to the group. It has ranked in the top third in efficiency of operations, according to the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy. Bassett said Kroc’s donation specifies that half the money be for construction of the new centers and the other half be placed in an endowment, with the eamings used as income to partially support the centers’ operations. The charity estimates it will have to raise an additional $40 mil lion to $60 million per year to fund the rest of the operational costs for the centers. None of the gift is to be used for existing programs, services or administrative costs. Legislators discuss whether students Ire aware of financial aid options By Matt Joyce THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ■ AUSTIN — Texas legislators on Tuesday juestioned whether students are getting enough nlormation about financial aid opportunities as le egulated tuition rates rise at some state icliools. ■ “There’s $2 billion available every year to help fe ;ans attend college, but many of our families lon’t know that these funds are available to them /in financial assistance,” said Rep. Roberto jutierrez, D-McAllen. ■ As students cracked open their Hiks to begin the spring semester, nembers of two legislative higher :ducation committees met with inancial aid officials and school rep- Jentatives from across the state. ■Don Brown, the state commis- ioner of higher education, said the 'exas Higher Education Coordinating Board has made an Mirt to promote financial aid pro- ‘'jrains at high schools, on the ntemet and with a toll-free phone niprmation line. fHCommittee members focused on whether two specific state grants rd fulfilling students’ needs: the B- )n-Time loan program, a forgiv- ble loan program established last ear, and the Texas Grant program, which took H:ct in 1999. ®Jlhe Texas Grant program is a need-based cl olarship for students who succeed academical- 1 / n high school. At current funding levels, 19,000 li ;ible students will not be able to get first-year n nts this year, and 30,000 next year, Brown said. ‘We are in a watershed moment for both pro- u Our job as a Legislature is to assure the citizens that they're not being gouged in light of the changing circumstances. — Royce D. West Representative, D-Dallas grams in respect to determining whether there can be enough money committed to both of them, allocated in the right ways, to make a real differ ence in closing the gaps in providing education to all of Texas,” Brown said. Committee members also heard from state schools that have increased their tuitions more than would have been allowed before deregula tion, or more than $46 per semester credit hour. Representatives from the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, North Texas, Tech Tech, Texas State and Texas Woman’s university sys tems were scheduled to testify in the hearing, which will continue Wednesday. Mark Yudof, chancellor of the University of Texas system, said that tuition increases were prompt ed by a drop in state appropria tions for general revenue of more than 6 percent. Different universities are experi menting with incentives to encour age students to complete their coursework on schedule, thereby freeing up financial aid dollars for other students. These innovations include a dis count for courses taken during off- peak hours at UT-Tyler and free tuition for students who take more than 14 hours at UT-Pan American, he said. Rep. Royce West, D-Dallas, said the commit tee was trying to ensure that tuition increases are in line with any shortcomings related to state funding cuts. “Our job as a Legislature is to assure the citi zens that they’re not being gouged in light of the changing circumstances in higher education,” West said. NEWS IN BRIEF Perry appoints Herring until 2009 AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Rick Perry has appointed James Herring of Amarillo and reap pointed Jack Hunt to the Texas Water Development Board. The state agency oversees statewide water planning and administration of financial pro grams for water supply, waste- water treatment, flood control and conservation projects. Herring, a graduate of the University of Texas and Harvard Business School, is president and CEO of Friona Industries, L.P., a cattle feeding and livestock feed manufactur ing company. Hunt was appointed to the board in 1998. He is president and CEO of King Ranch, Inc, a land-based multi-business resource company. Truck driver will not face charges FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The unlicensed commercial truck driver who hit a 4-year- old riding his bike will not face felony criminal charges because the boy’s death was an accident, police said. 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Expires 5/15/04 CALL FOR PAPERS Texas A&M University Undergraduate Journal of Science All undergrads doing research are eligible to submit their work for possible publication. DEADLINE: February 2, 2004 Rm. 230 Reed-McDonald or email to uis@stuorg.tamu.edu You’ll Feel Better, Fast! Sp^Back n , c Helping Ags feel better for over 20 years. Rehabilitation for: • Sports Injuries • Vehicle Injuries • Orthopedic Injuries • Back & Neck Injuries • Occupational Injuries (979) 776.2225 2011 A Villa Maria* Bryan, TX 77802 SENIORS. We're back by popular demand, but this is your LAST CHANCE. Graduation portraits for the 2004 Aggieland Yearbook will be taken Monday, Jan. 26, through Wednesday, Jan. 28,2004, in Room 407 of Rudder. There is no sitting fee required to be photographed for the yearbook; resits are $10. To make an appointment, call Thornton Studio at 1-800-883-9449. Aggieland 2004 Texas A&M University Yearbook ■ Tables on sale until Ian. 21st $35 at the MSC box office Questions? 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