Some members of AU for Bill Richardson have pledged to sacrifice something they regularly purchase and donate the money to the New Mexico governor's campaign for the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination.
The initiative was part of AU for Bill Richardson's weeklong effort to raise awareness of Richardson's candidacy on campus. Along with participating in the initiative, the group put up posters around campus promoting Richardson and the group.
It also planned to wear T-shirts with Richardson's campaign logo on Thursday, according to Anthony Fragale, president of the group and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Members participating in the initiative made their donations through a fundraising page the group set up on Richardson's national campaign Web site.
As of yesterday afternoon, participants donated $51 through the site. The initiative is a way for college students to show they are sacrificing something to help elect Richardson as president, Fragale said.
"[Richardson] is the only major candidate for president who is pledging to withdraw all American troops from Iraq, so we are sacrificing something from our daily lives so no more American troops have to make the ultimate sacrifice," he said.
Because AU for Bill Richardson is not an official club in the AU Club Council, the group can fundraise for a specific candidate, according to Fragale.
Fragale said he came up with the idea for the initiative because he thought there should be a way for college students to be able to donate an affordable amount of money to political candidates but still make it meaningful.
"The fundraisers for the national presidential campaigns are always asking for large amounts of money," he said. "It's always $50 or $100 or $250. I think that the vast majority of college students see numbers like that and think 'I don't have $50 right now to just throw away.' I support Richardson to the end, but I obviously don't have that much money to spend at one time."
Tim Ritz, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, gave up having tea, bagels and soda for the week and donated the $15 he would have spent on those items to the campaign yesterday.
Participants donated money based on specific issues on which Richardson focuses, he said.
"I gave up those items for the week so teachers could receive more money and so teaching could become a more competitive profession," Ritz said.
Sarah Twomey-Mercurio, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, decided to not purchase iced green tea when she went to Panera Bread.
"I've been a big Richardson supporter since last spring," she said. "I thought this would be a good way to make a difference."
Fragale encouraged members of the group who participated in the initiative to note what they gave up during the week for their campaign donation in their Facebook profiles.
"Our support isn't just clicking 'Accept' on a Facebook group," he said. "There are candidate clubs with larger Facebook groups than we have, but our members are actually donating money, organizing things, doing something beyond joining a Facebook group"
