Community Leaders Plan to "Fulfill The Promise" Earlier than Expected; Major Gifts Announced by American Eagle Outfitters, Mylan and UPMC

PITTSBURGH, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporate and community leaders from the region convened today to announce Phase II of The Pittsburgh Promise fundraising campaign called, "Now Fulfilling The Promise for Years to Come."

The Pittsburgh Promise Board Chairman Franco Harris announced the campaign's Corporate Committee co-chairs – two of the region's top business leaders – Martin McGuinn, retired Chairman and CEO of Mellon Financial Corporation and, David Shapira, Executive Chairman of Giant Eagle's Board of Directors. Commenting on the funds raised to date, Franco Harris said, "There's no question that The Pittsburgh Promise is working to advance the lives of thousands of young people. From a fund development standpoint, we have momentum that was created by UPMC and sustained by the numerous foundations and individuals who care about kids and about the future of this region. We truly appreciate all of the support and donations received to date."

The Pittsburgh Promise was launched in December 2007 with a remarkable $100 million challenge grant from UPMC. To date, another $60 million has been raised in gifts and pledges from more than 100 corporations and foundations, and more than 2,000 individual donors. The Promise has provided $32 million in scholarships to 3,800 graduates from the Pittsburgh Public Schools' classes of 2008 – 2012.

Marty McGuinn announced to those in attendance at the Pittsburgh CAPA School event: "Our plan is to raise $90 million to reach the $250 million goal in order for the funds to invest at a level that will sustain the scholarship program for years to come. Our hope is that we can reach this goal in two years, instead of by the original date of 2018. This is achievable with nearly two-thirds of the funds already in place. Fulfilling the Promise's financial goals sooner will help to not only secure, but advance the mission of the program. This challenge will require attracting funding from a range of companies, major gifts from individuals, and more donations from the community-at-large. We believe this approach will perpetuate the trend of more kids attending college or trade school and effectively grooming them for our future workforce."

The campaign committee includes 22 honorary co-chairs, as well as corporate and community leaders who will lend their names and influence in reaching out to prospective donors, along with serving on various campaign committees (see listing below).

American Eagle Outfitters, Mylan Each Announce $1 Million Pledges

American Eagle Outfitters and Mylan, both global corporations from the Pittsburgh region, announced at the campaign launch meeting today their respective $1 million gifts to The Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship Fund.

"American Eagle Outfitters believes in advancing the mission of The Promise.  This one million dollar pledge is symbolic of our support of causes important to young people and their families across the country and is a natural fit with our philanthropic strategy to help students stay and excel in school, graduate from high school, and prepare for college and their careers," said Robert Hanson, CEO of American Eagle Outfitters and Pittsburgh Promise Board member.

Commenting on Mylan's $1 million commitment to The Pittsburgh Promise, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said, "Our pledge supports the hope that students in our own backyard receive an education after high school and helps to break down the financial barriers that could keep them from making their dreams come true. We are pleased to support one of the country's leading scholarship programs that advances public education reform while preparing our young people for jobs in science and business."

Both companies will establish a permanently named scholarship at The Pittsburgh Promise.

UPMC Fulfills Promise Pledge Funding Gaps

In addition to UPMC's $10 million start-up grant, and its $90 million challenge grant over 10 years that has served as the catalyst for the community-wide campaign to raise an additional $150 million, today UPMC announced that it will modify its $90 million commitment by funding the full amount regardless of the length of time required to achieve The Promise's annual fund-raising goals.

"As the economy continues to recover, we recognize that The Promise was able to raise a substantial amount of funds during several of the most difficult economic years in recent history while improving the lives of many Pittsburgh students and families," said UPMC President and CEO Jeffrey A. Romoff. "To underscore our unwavering support and to help accelerate this fundraising initiative, UPMC will fully commit to its $100 million pledge regardless of the annual funding amount raised or the time it takes to raise those funds."

During recent years, The Promise has fallen short of maximizing the UPMC challenge by approximately $9.3 million. UPMC's decision to modify its community challenge grant commitment by relaxing the annual deadlines should help ensure that UPMC's total $100 million commitment will be received to support scholarships.

"The campaign - Now Fulfilling the Promise for Years to Come - means that every student currently enrolled in a Pittsburgh Public School, from Pre-Kindergarten on up, could be eligible to receive scholarship support from our community when they graduate from high school," said Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director of The Pittsburgh Promise. "UPMC's on-going commitment, and the outstanding support we have received from American Eagle Outfitters and Mylan, the foundation and corporate community and from individuals throughout the region add to our conviction that our mission is advancing, and our students are working harder and dreaming bigger dreams for a future that is full of promise," added Ghubril.

The Pittsburgh Promise: Now Fulfilling the Promise for Years to Come
Campaign Honorary Co-Chairs, Community and Corporate Leaders

Honorary Co-Chairs

• Heather Bresch - Mylan
• Bill Demchak - PNC
• Kim Fleming - HefrenTillotson
• Chuck Hammel - Pitt Ohio
• Robert Hanson - American Eagle Outfitters
• Franco Harris - NFL/Super Bakery
• Henry Hillman - Hillman Company
• Laura Shapira Karet - Giant Eagle
• Mario Lemieux - Pittsburgh Penguins
• Anne Lewis - Oxford Development
• Jerry MacCleary - Bayer Corporation
• David Malone - Gateway Financial Corp.
• Kent McElhattan - Industrial Scientific
• Robert Nutting - Pittsburgh Pirates
• Robert Paul - Ampco Pittsburgh
• Jeffrey Romoff - UPMC
• Art Rooney - Pittsburgh Steelers
• Scott Roy - Range Resources
• Vince Sands - BNY Mellon
• Susan Baker Shipley - Huntington Bank
• Spencer Todd - Thermo Fisher
• William Winkenwerder - Highmark

Corporate Campaign Committees

• Marty McGuinn, Co-Chair
• David Shapira, Co-Chair
• Laura Ellsworth – Jones Day
• Franco Harris – NFL/Super Bakery 
• David Malone – Gateway Financial Group
• Grant Oliphant – The Pittsburgh Foundation
• Ira Weiss – Law Offices of Ira Weiss
• Demetri Zervoudis – Bayer MaterialScience

Major Gifts Campaign Committee

• Georgia Berner – Berner International
• Debbie Demchak – Community Leader
• Carole King – King Communications
• Mark Laskow – Greycourt Investments
• Anne Lewis – Oxford Development
• Ann McGuinn – Community Leader
• Cindy Shapira – Allegheny County
• Edie Shapira – Private Practice
• Greg Spencer – Randall Enterprises
• Kiya Tomlin – Community Leader

Grassroots Campaign Committee

• Linda Lane – Pittsburgh Public Schools
• Pam Little-Poole – A+ Schools
• Candi Castleberry Singleton - UPMC
• Mardi Royston – Community Leader
• Olga Welch – Duquesne University

About The Pittsburgh Promise

The Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program for Pittsburgh Public School students, advocates for improving the quality of education and increasing the preparedness and diversity of the region's workforce. Promise scholars have enrolled in 91 different post-secondary public and private colleges and universities, career training companies, and vocational and trade programs throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh has the largest Promise program in the United States. To donate or for more information about The Pittsburgh Promise, visit www.pittsburghpromise.org.

SOURCE The Pittsburgh Promise