NIU President John La Tourette has designated this week NIU Care Week to help raise money to aid the American Red Cross Relief Fund.

Z Ahmad, program coordinator for University Programming and Activities said “care week is an effort to get students, student organizations, faculty, and staff to support the American Red Cross.”

The money is being collected to help victims of Hurricane Hugo and the San Francisco earthquake. It can be used, however, to replenish the Red Cross budget, replacing funds already used to help those victims.

Programming and Activities, along with the Student Association, will be coordinating the fundraising efforts. Programming and Activities has not set up a goal for itself, but so far has raised $929, said Ahmad.

Collected monies have come from Interfraternity Council ($300), Campus Activities Board ($429), and Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity ($200).

The SA has hopes of “raising $1200, divided into $20 personal goals for staff, executive members, and senators,” said SA President Huda Scheidelman.

Brian Subatich, Student Association community affairs adviser, said at Sunday’s SA meeting that this effort “will show that we’re willing to donate some money to the Red Cross.”

Milk jugs were distributed to SA members at the meeting to aid in the collection efforts. Members will be carrying the jugs and accepting donations in classes and around campus.

Contributions will be accepted until Friday. They will be counted at Sunday’s SA meeting.

Contributions should be made payable to American Red Cross Disaster Fund. In addition to being placed in the jugs, they can be sent, in care of Ahmad, to the Programming and Activities Office located on the 6th floor of the Holmes Student Center.