Gonzaga Giving Newsletter, Winter 2015

Winter 2015

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Olympic-sized legacy Tony Le (’07) was the kind of guy who was always there for others – birthdays, events, moving, a pickup basketball game – you name it, Le was there. So when the day came that Le wasn’t there anymore, his friends from Gonzaga stepped in to carry his legacy forward.

“Tony loved interacting with people, getting to know people and doing the right thing by volunteering for anyone that needed help,” recalled Le’s friend and classmate, Zachary Oliver (’06). Le’s Gonzaga experience was largely defined by his volunteering and service through the Center for Community Action and Service Learning and for many, CCASL was defined by Le. “He gravitated there because he was comfortable, but he also brought a lot of people to CCASL and made them feel good for being there,” said Ann Nemitz (’08) another friend of Le’s. “He was always welcoming people, always up for a good time.” At CCASL, Le helped to launch Gonzaga University Specialized Recreation (GUSR), a student-run program that partners Spokane community adults who have special needs with Gonzaga students.

“He was a constant at CCASL, always helping somebody with something. He’d say ‘hi’ to people, get to know them and offer a helping hand if he

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could.” added Oliver. “People just loved him because he was always so involved in so many of their projects. The GU slogan then was Educating People the World Needs Most, and Tony was definitely one of those people.”

In November of 2012, five years after graduating from Gonzaga with his degree in engineering, Le was living and working in the Seattle area.

Oliver and Nemitz were there, too. Over the years, Le had inspired his friends to join him in his philanthropic pursuits, including volunteering with the Special Olympics. They had no idea that in less than a year’s time, they would be carrying on his work without him.

At the age of 28, Tony Le had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

“It was really uncomfortable for him,” Oliver remembers. “For him to be in this place where he couldn’t be the strong one anymore was really difficult. We wanted him to know that he was not in this fight alone.” Friends took Le to Disneyland, Las Vegas, to Spokane for a Gonzaga basketball game and to Portland to see the Trail Blazers play. “He got to meet LeBron James, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Damien Lillard – he loved

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Olympic-sized legacy (continued)

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that,” said Oliver. “Like a kid in a candy store,” added Nemitz.

the first annual “Le Olympics” – a fundraiser in remembrance of their friend.

Tony Le lost his battle with cancer in October of 2013. One of his final acts in support of CCASL came by way of a GUSR pizza party he funded through his will. Le’s gift inspired Nemitz and Oliver to follow their friend’s example once again.

“We knew the games couldn’t be ‘everyone wins,’ because Tony wouldn’t have wanted that,” said Nemitz. “There had to be a clearly defined winner and a trophy.” Medals were made and winners were crowned, including CCASL, the beneficiary of the funds raised by the Le Olympics.

“Service was just something that at first, I did to boost my entry into college,” said Oliver.

“Tony taught me to do it for the sake of other people.”

“Tony made volunteering part of our lives,” added Nemitz. “In Seattle when we weren’t a part of the University anymore, there wasn’t one major network connecting us to service.

Tony made it easy. He just said, ‘hey, I’m going to start a Special Olympics team. I’ll pick you up at seven,’ and everyone showed up at seven.”

“I wanted to create something that people could really rally behind in Tony’s honor,” explained Oliver. So, he and Nemitz organized

“We plan to continue it for as long as we can,” said Oliver. “We try to pick the Saturday closest to Tony’s birthday, the 19th of July.”

Oliver and Nemitz are making plans for the second annual Le Olympics and have secured LeOlympics.org for anyone interested in joining in support of CCASL and carrying on the legacy of Tony Le. CCASL is currently celebrating 20 years of providing service opportunities for Gonzaga students and was recently honored with three prestigious awards for civic engagement and community service. Learn more about CCASL’s programs and honors at gonzaga.edu/CCASL.

Edmund “Corky” Braune (’49) was a familiar face to the giving staff at Gonzaga.

He delivered his donations in person for twelve years and as Astrid Kingsford, assistant to the vice president of University Advancement, recalls, he did so in a quietly memorable way.

Kingsford and the rest of the GU staff looked forward to seeing Braune during his annual deliveries and grieved when they learned of his passing in June of 2013.

Braune’s annual gift arrived in the office in November of 2013, much to the surprise of

The Zag Scholarship Promise is a commitment to what is truly important for our students – access to an affordable and exemplary Jesuit education.

3,199

donors answered President McCulloh’s challenge to help provide Zags with scholarships from the Zag Scholarship Fund.

257

Zags have been individually sponsored with one-to-one scholarships from the Zag Scholarship Fund so far.

500

Special delivery

“Corky was a very humble man and I could swear he wore the same dark green jacket every time he visited,” Kingsford recalled. “He would pull out his checkbook and write a check on the spot. While he wrote, I usually tried to make small talk and learn a little more about him, but he really wasn’t much of a talker. He never wanted much fanfare around his gifts; rather, he was a loyal benefactor who gave in his own way, quietly, year after year.”

[ Annual Campaign ]

sponsored Zags are needed

by May 31, 2015, to reach the Annual Campaign goal.

$643,485 in gifts has been given to the Zag Scholarship Fund since the Zag Scholarship Promise launched.

College Hall circa 1949, when Edmund Braune attended Gonzaga.

some in the department. As it turned out, Braune had established a family foundation to continue his annual giving to his favorite charities, Gonzaga included, after his passing.

So once a year, when Braune’s gift comes in, we smile and imagine him coming in to personally deliver it – just like he used to do.

“It was emotional to see his name again in the donor honor roll,” said Kingsford. “I think it is wonderful that he made provisions for GU so his gifts would continue even though he is no longer with us.” She then added, “I miss him.”

1,707

donors had gifts matched by an anonymous donor family through the “Twice as Nice” Challenge in December 2014, spurring on

$200,000 in scholarship funding.

Learn more about the Zag Scholarship Promise and how you can sponsor a Zag at gonzaga.edu/ScholarshipPromise.

Regional Scholarship Recipients

Scholarships and an on-campus job are helping keep Saba Mateos (’15) at Gonzaga to finish her psychology degree.

Family first Education has always been a top priority for Saba Mateos (’15). That’s why it was so surprising when she nearly gave up her senior year at Gonzaga.

Saba came to Gonzaga from Renton, Wash., where she grew up as the oldest of three children. She and her brother were already in school – Saba at Gonzaga and her brother at Bellevue College – when her younger sister was accepted to Washington State University. Saba knew her family couldn’t afford to assist all three siblings in paying for their education, so she considered making a major sacrifice. She would forego her final year at Gonzaga so that her brother and sister could go to school.

Fortunately, Saba didn’t have to choose between her education or her siblings’. The Gonzaga University donor family stepped in, providing her with scholarships and a job in the Office of Admission to help her to finish her degree and pursue a future in leadership development. Saba is very grateful for what her scholarships are making possible for her family.

“They give me the opportunity to further my education and pursue my passions in a way that would not be possible otherwise,” she said. “I’ve been working for my education my whole life and now I’m able to complete my senior year with the help of additional scholarships and work.”

See Saba as the emcee for the Gonzaga Day 2015 halftime show which celebrates all who “Believe in Zags.” Learn more about Saba and the Zag Scholarship Promise by watching the halftime show online at gonzaga.edu/GonzagaDay.

Regional scholarships provide opportunities for students from various areas around the nation. Alumni, parents and friends of Gonzaga give together to help students from their home region attend GU. There are currently 12 regional scholarship funds to which donors can give, including Alaska, the San Francisco Bay area, Grays Harbor, Seattle, Phoenix, Spokane, Texas, Boise, Denver, Portland, Tacoma and the Tri-Cities. Gonzaga Giving asked the recipients of the six awarded regional scholarships this year to share what they plan to do in the future, thanks to the help of their scholarships.

Helen Portillo (’15) Texas Regional Scholarship Major: Nursing

In the spirit of Zag gratitude and Texas hospitality, Portillo said, “Thank you for letting me make Gonzaga my home. If you ever find yourself in Texas and need a nurse, I owe you!”

Elise LaRussa (’16)

Seattle Regional Scholarship Major: Mechanical Engineering

LaRussa didn’t have to travel far from Seattle to Spokane, but she has her sights set further for her future.

“After graduation, I would love to work for a program that goes abroad or around the states rebuilding homes or improving water systems,” she said.

Chelsea Huffman (’15) Alaska Regional Scholarship Major: Biology

This Alaska native was recently accepted to Veterinary School and credits her scholarships with helping make this lifelong goal attainable.

“Without the contributions of the regional donors, I would not be able to pursue my dreams,” said Huffman.

Emily Mann (’16)

Gonzaga-in-Florence Via and Bruno Bay Area Scholarship Major: Public Relations

Mann has aspirations to take her Gonzaga education back to her home region.

“After graduate school, I want to eventually get a job in public relations in the Bay Area,” said Mann, adding, “and possibly law school, too.”

Snapshot [CCASL]

Gonzaga students volunteer their time and talents to help local children in Spokane Public Schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and more. Learn more about how students are giving back at gonzaga.edu/CCASL.

Giving where it is needed most When Sue Weitz retired from her position as dean of students and vice president for student life at Gonzaga, giving back to the University was a priority.

Weitz is quite passionate about helping Gonzaga students, which makes sense, being that she spent 34 years serving them.

“I thought, ‘how do you give back to an institution that gave you and your family so much?’” said Weitz, who first came to GU in 1981. “I knew my gift would make a difference.”

“I am all about the students, so whether my gift goes to a building, or is a small amount to help keep tuition down – making the operating costs a little bit more affordable – no matter what you give to at Gonzaga, the students are going to benefit,” she said. “My gift could help other students get the kind of education I think they should get. I’m convinced that our institution gives a better education.”

Weitz’ gift, which designated Gonzaga as a beneficiary of her retirement account, was not specifically directed to a particular area within the University and remains unrestricted. Her knowledge of the University’s administrative inner workings inspired the decision about how she wanted her gift to be used.

“I could see it in scholarships, in a building, in operating costs – I want to leave that up to the able leadership of the institution,” she said, “because that’s where I sat for many years. I think it was Father Coughlin who said Gonzaga is ‘educating the mind and the heart together,’ and I am such a believer in that.

I wanted to make sure they have money to do it.”

Giving was also a way for Weitz to continue to feel connected to a place that has been such a large part of her life for so long.

“I will never be disconnected,” she said, adding encouragement for others to give, too. “Gonzaga is a great place and I needed to give back. If you have any connection to Gonzaga, you really should give back somehow, too.”

You can learn more about how giving through Gonzaga makes a difference at blogs.gonzaga.edu/GonzagaGiving.

Development Office, Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Ave., Spokane, WA 99258-0098, (800) 463-6925

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