Five colleges and universities along with eight area public schools and businesses raised more than $6,000 for the University of Rochester's Mt. Hope Family Center during National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
The groups held sports events, panel discussions, and sold items on campuses. Some offices held "blue jean days" during which employees made donations in exchange for the right to come to work in jeans. The campaign raised awareness of and funds for the center's programs that prevent maltreatment and build healthy families.
Topping the list of fundraisers were the Kappa Delta and Sigma Delta Tau sororities at the University of Rochester, which brought in $1,800 through sales of their hand-braided bracelets. ReMax Realty Group of Pittsford ranked first among businesses, raising $654 for the center, while Eastridge High School in Rochester came in #1 among schools, with $255 donated by the staff.
Founded in 1979, Mt. Hope Family Center is one of the nation's leading research sites for the study of trauma on child development and family relationships and one of the region's most valuable resources for children and parents in crisis, helping more than 800 families annually.