Wayne State University School of Medicine alumni responded enthusiastically to telephone calls requesting support from their former classmates and current SOM students for support by contributing $374,875 in pledges during the 25th Alumni Annual Telefund. The Telefund is the premier fundraising event for the Alumni Annual Fund - the School of Medicine's annual drive to raise money to support and advance the educational programs and needs of its students and alumni.
A total of 121 alumni and students generously volunteered to call SOM alumni over 12 nights during October and November, with 1,840 alumni making contributions during this year's event.
Volunteers included 47 alumni and 74 students. Among the top four alumni "pledge raisers" were Dr. Ray Margherio,'65, who raised $23,660; Dr. Samuel Indenbaum,'56, who raised $18,700; Dr. Alkis Zingas, '70, who raised $12,175; and Dr. Donald Muenk, '68, who raised $9,600 in pledges.
The top three student "pledge raisers" were David O'Malley, Year IV, with $10,770; Renee Dwiahy, Year II, with $9,055; and April Sarvis, Year IV, with $8,810 in pledges.
A united effort among volunteers, coupled with new ideas that were incorporated this year, helped the $355,000 goal to be surpassed by nearly $20,000. Two of the key changes that proved successful were having Class Agents preview class lists prior to Telefund to select alumni they wanted to call, and having alumni volunteers call classmates on their own time, not just during the Telefund hours.
Alumni volunteers that deserve a hearty thank you this year include: Drs. Samuel Indenbaum,'56, co-chair; Jean Sinkoff, '65, co-chair; John Bielawski, '43; Anita Bodiya, '95; Robert Brent, '60; Robert Cooper, '52; Harold Daitch, '57; Bruce Deschere, '77; Thomas Ditkoff, '71; Paul Fecko, '64; Denise Gray, '75; Martin Hart, '64; Charlotte Hartzell, '88; Edward Heil, '57; Louis Hoffman, '50; Neal Krasnick, '86; Carl Lauter, '65; Jain Lauter, Joseph Liioi, '61; Fred Maibauer,'69; Raymond Margherio, '65; Frank Markey, '45; Thomas McInerney,'52; Robert McKnight,'44; Irving Miller, '58; Peter Miller, '70; George Mogill,'42; Donald Muenk,'68; Karen Niver, '88; Theodore Pantos, '57; A. Michael Prus, ‘58; J. Patrick Quigley, '63; Lydia Rozof, '92; Richard Ruzumna, '61; Dan Ryan, '89; Hershel Sandberg, '53; Susan Sherman, '85; Larry Silverman, '82; Alan Sorscher, '59; John Speck, '84; Carolyn Sprague, '84; Sydney Stone, '51; Thomas Sullivan, '58; Geoffrey Trivax, '72; Mary Yenchick, '88; Robert Zgliniec, '71; and Alkis Zingas, '70.