In addition to the University of Vermont’s unparalleled volunteer efforts in fall 2011 to respond to fellow Vermonters in need of aid during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, the UVM Alumni Association has donated $1 on behalf of each of its 30,000 UVM alumni living in Vermont to the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund. The UVM Alumni Association’s $30,000 gift is being matched with an additional $30,000 by an anonymous UVM graduate for a total gift of $60,000.

“The UVM Alumni Association is pleased to be able to make this contribution to such a deserving and worthy cause,” said Ted Madden, UVM class of 1992, president of the UVM Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association announced the donation during their annual leadership meeting at the UVM Alumni Association Ski & Ride Weekend on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 5 p.m. at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort in Stowe.

David Coates, the chair of the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund, said that the donation from the UVM Alumni Association is just one of many steps the University of Vermont has taken to help Vermonters recover from the state’s worst disaster since 1927.

“From the minute Irene struck, the University of Vermont has been providing assistance to survivors. UVM students turned out in huge numbers to help our Vermont neighbors,” he said. “Now, this gift from the UVM Alumni Association will provide financial support to the Vermont Irene survivors who are still struggling to recover from the disaster.”

The Vermont Disaster Relief Fund provides financial assistance to the thousands of Vermonters whose lives were torn apart by the floods of 2011. The fund is designed to fill the gap that exists after survivors receive assistance from the federal government, private insurance and other grant programs.

The fund is financed solely by private donations and, as of January 31, the fund had raised $7.2 million.

Coates said that there are still hundreds of Irene survivors who are trying to rebuild their lives. “This is a long-term recovery,” he said. “Irene may seem long ago for many of us, but there are still Vermonters who live with the effects of Irene each and every day.”

Donations to the fund have come in all sizes and from a wide variety sources, including school bake sales, survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, fundraising concerts, the Keegan Bradley Charity Golf Classic, and the sale of VTSTRONG license plates.

The UVM Alumni Association made this gift from funds generated by its business activities, including ticket sales to events and revenues from promotion of membership services such as affinity credit card and travel programs.

More information on the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund: Betsy Ide, (802) 860-0014 or betsy@vermontdisasterrecovery.com.