Community Sponsors Supporting B-CU Fundraising Efforts

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Daytona Beach, FL - A newly formed group will soon begin fundraising efforts based on the legacy of Bethune-Cookman University's founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.

The group, known as Community Sponsors, will work alongside the Wildcat Challenge and host a fund-raising competition among nine teams, aligned in varying ways to help with the institution.

"(We're) a group of non-graduates of B-CU who decided that we want to help the university in its efforts to raise funds to sustain the school," said Fred Beneby, former B-CU athletic recruiter and co-chairperson of Community Sponsors.

B-CU, which has been on probation since 2017, announced back in January of this year that the school was in need of financial help to restore the private university's endowment. The school's deficit was said to be $7.5 million, according to the school's former interim president, Hubert L. Grimes.

That deficit needs to be paid by June of next year.

Therefore, Community Sponsors is looking for help in the way of donations, or if people wish, they can offer what the group calls "symbolic donations."

According to Beneby, these symbolic donations begin at $1.50, a value rather significant to the history of B-CU. Other suggested symbolic donations are $150 from people 25 and older, and $1,150 from businesses and organizations.

Those suggested amounts are in remembrance of Dr. Bethune and the founding of B-CU. Beneby says that back in 1904, Dr. Bethune founded a school with $1.50 and five African-American girls. At the time, it was called the Daytona Education & Industrial Training School for Negro Girls. Around 20 years later, it would merge with the Cookman College for Men and become Bethune-Cookman University.

"Dr. Bethune had given her life to that school," said Beneby. "She started out with that $1.50 just to be sure people have the opportunity to see what can be done with just a little bit of money."

Beneby also mentioned that his church, the Mount Zion AME Church in Daytona, will host a special program on the fourth Sunday of November (November 24th). There, they will be the first group of people to make one of those symbolic donations.

Donations are tax-deductible and should be made payable to B-CU Institutional Advancement, for Community Sponsors, and mailed to 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114-9986.

Beneby said that people who want more information or are interested in assisting with the "symbolic gift-giving" can call him at 386-882-8401. He said he will be available 24 hours a day.