Ralph Becker’s campaign received a big financial boost on Friday, thanks to a phone-a-thon that raised $56,365 in just seven hours. Equally impressive was that participants called their own friends and family to ask for contributions. In several cases, this was the first time that individuals had ever given to a political campaign.
Former State Senator Karen Hale, who participated in the event, said, “I think this shows how passionate Ralph’s supporters are. You can’t manufacture that kind of enthusiasm for a candidate. Because Ralph is a genuine person with an inspirational vision for the city, asking my friends and family to support him was easy.”
The original goal for the phone-a-thon was $50,000. “We thought setting a goal of $50,000 was very ambitious,” said Becker. “You can only imagine how thrilled we are with the final results. I want to thank everyone who was involved in this event for their commitment and support.”
The list of phone-a-thon callers was also noteworthy because it included a wide variety of participants. Callers ranged from well-known community leaders likes, Karen Shepard, Paula Julander, Eric Jergensen, David Litvack and Frank Pignanelli to lesser-known citizens like Carolyn Connell, a math professor at Westminster College, and Jon Weisberg, a local public relations professional.
“It is through events like this, where I see how passionate the people of Salt Lake City are about the future of our community,” said Becker. “By giving their time and resources to my campaign, they not only support me, but more importantly, they endorse our shared vision for Salt Lake City to become the next great American city.”