The "Keep the Fires Burning" campaign, which aims to raise the $3.7 million required to repair the broken Lawn and Range fireplaces, received $100,000 as its first donation Wednesday.
The effort comes after University Facilities Management discovered faults in the fireplaces last summer while renovating rooms on the Lawn and the Range, rendering them useless for residents.
Reedy Swanson, fourth-year College student and head resident of the Lawn, described the campaign as a collaboration between current residents, University faculty and administration, and University Alumni Association leadership.
In an Oct. 12 email to Lawn and Range residents, Michael Strine, executive vice president and chief operating officer, urged them to get involved with raising funds to repair the fireplaces.
"There is no capacity to fund this project within the University's current budget without materially affecting other priorities, including those that affect student life," he said. "The University is prepared to launch a fundraising campaign and we would like to involve you."
The campaign is seeking support from Lawn alumni as well as external and internal supporters of the University.
The campaign's first gift came from a former Lawn resident, said Jack Thorman, Education School graduate student and Range Council member.
"We are reaching out to a lot of the different organizations in the University that might help us out, people that may have some funds set aside that we could tap into," Swanson said.
Strine said he hopes the funds could be raised as soon as possible.
"The sooner we get the funds in hand, the sooner we can start work," he said. "For example, were we to secure the funds by the end of the month, we could complete the project by Winter Break."\nThe timeline for renovation completions is still uncertain, Thorman said.
Swanson said a successful campaign would preserve the historical integrity of the Lawn and Range community.
"Ever since the days of FDR and his fireside chats it has had more than just a literal meaning in warming the room," he said. "We've had radiators forever. It's not a matter of personal comfort, but they add something to the student experience"
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