Contact:

Myra Luna, 873-1528 Michael Padilla, 277-1816

January 30, 2002

Letters of Hope Campaign receives national attention

The Letters of Hope campaign led by Myra Luna, University of New Mexico recent graduate from Albuquerque, has received national attention by USA TODAY. The campaign began on Sept. 14 as an idea to help the many people directly affected by the events of Sept. 11.

The goal of the campaign is to collect as many letters as possible for people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
The efforts for the campaign began with the student-run organization Public Relations Student Society of America, (PRSSA) at UNM. The group collected letters from UNM community members, students at TV-I and various Albuquerque Public Schools. Materials such as blank letters and writing utensils have been provided by PRSSA. The letters have been shipped continuously by the American Red Cross since Oct. 2.

“The Letters of Hope was a direct response to the tragic events on Sept. 11,” Luna said. “This campaign offers another way for community members to help. Anyone can write a letter it only takes a few moments but it can provide a volunteer, fire fighter, or survivor words of encouragement, love and reassurance that we are all united.”

Luna said the campaign has sparked enthusiasm among the student community in Albuquerque and now is in the process of stirring up similar interests among the rest of the state.

The feature story that appeared in USA TODAY is part of a series tracking the lives of six Americans and their responses to the events on Sept. 11. A follow-up story in USA TODAY is scheduled to appear in three months.

“Since the story appeared on Dec. 17, we have collected 268 more Letters of Hope that were sent before Christmas to areas in New York and Washington, bringing our total for letters collected to 1,680,” Luna said. “There is no goal for the number of letters we wish to collect but the more letters we can collect the more we can extend hope.”

The support from the American Red Cross has allowed the campaign to grow exponentially. With that support this campaign has the potential to reach deep into the hearts of every American.

Luna is requesting support and assistance from various organizations, companies or foundations by providing supplies, contact to letter writers or volunteer time to further spread the word about the campaign.

For more information concerning the campaign contact Luna at 873-1528 or the American Red Cross at 265-8514.

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981