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MU receives gift from State Farm Insurance to support outreach programs

May 30th, 2018

Story Contact: Cailin Riley, 573-882-4870, rileyci@umsystem.edu

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Today, officials from the University of Missouri recognized State Farm Insurance Company for their recent donation of $141,000. This gift brings State Farm’s total gift amount for the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign to more than $1.3 million. MU continues to be the largest single recipient of State Farm grant funding in Missouri.

“The University of Missouri sincerely appreciates State Farm’s steadfast support,” said Tom Hiles, MU vice chancellor for Advancement. “Over the years, the company has consistently strengthened our engagement and outreach programs throughout the state of Missouri. This latest gift only re-affirms State Farm’s commitment to helping MU serve as the university for Missouri.”

“State Farm is proud to be a supporter of the University of Missouri,” said Bill Roundtree, State Farm Vice President of Agency Sales for Missouri. “This year’s grant award is our second largest single-year award to MU to date. The programs we’re supporting underscore the state-wide impact of MU. From helping rural fire departments better protect their communities and aiding at-risk teen and senior drivers, to educating the financial professionals of the future, these MU programs are making a difference in communities across Missouri.”

The money will support several MU programs including:

Fire Rescue Training Institute

The Fire Rescue Training Institute is a program provided by MU Extension. It provides essential training for Missouri emergency responders. Through this training, the responders gain additional competency in the quick stabilization and removal of accident victims to improve survival rates while safely managing the incident scene. This year, State Farm donated $58,000 to support this program.

ThinkFirst Missouri

Located in the Howard A. Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Missouri, the MU School of Medicine’s ThinkFirst Missouri program serves as an affiliate chapter of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation. ThinkFirst Missouri works to prevent traumatic injuries through education, research and policy. State Farm’s giving supports ThinkFirst’s First Impact program, which partners with law enforcement to educate parents of new teen drivers about Missouri’s Graduated Driver License laws and help them form successful strategies for helping their teens stay safe and avoid crashes. State Farm donated $25,000 to support this program.

Trulaske College of Business Risk Management and Insurance Program

A 2015 investment from State Farm helped launch the Trulaske College of Business Risk Management and Insurance program. State Farm’s continued support has allowed the program to hire a director, design and implement a curriculum that will prepare students for this important field, and market this new course of study to Mizzou students interested in risk management. This year, State Farm donated $25,000 to help continue this program.

Frank L. Mitchell, Jr., MD Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach

The goals of the Frank L. Mitchell, Jr., MD Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach program are to reduce crashes among older drivers and support appropriate reporting of impaired drivers for further evaluation. This focus allows older drivers to stay on the roads safely and will help open the door for discussions about when it is appropriate to stop driving. This year, State Farm donated another gift of $18,000.

College of Human Environmental Sciences Personal Financial Planning Department

The Department of Personal Financial Planning’s Office for Financial Success works to enhance financial literacy throughout the Mizzou community by providing financial counseling and resources. These resources include educational workshops, weekly financial tips, tax preparation and outreach programs across the state of Missouri. Services from the program include offering students counseling to help create student debt repayment plans, advising students so they stay in school and do not drop out due to financial reasons, and free tax preparation. This year, State Farm donated $15,000 to support this program.

With an overall fundraising goal of $1.3 billion, the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign aims to secure the University of Missouri’s status among the nation’s elite public universities by focusing on four priorities:

  • Establishing an endowment to compete with other institutions to strengthen MU’s ability to attract and retain stellar students and faculty.
  • Enhancing MU’s AAU status through the creation of signature centers and institutes.
  • Propelling Mizzou to global leadership in education and research by spurring a campus renaissance with new and renovated facilities.
  • Providing student success initiatives that give Mizzou students access to world-class learning opportunities that ensure they thrive on campus and throughout their lives.

 

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