The university will officially begin its 1998 campaign for the United Way of Central Maryland later this month with two kickoff events: on the Homewood campus, at noon on Sept. 23, in Shriver Hall, and in East Baltimore, at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 25 at the School of Hygiene and Public Health.

The campaign's three chairs--Bob Sirota, Peabody Institute director; Gabe Kelen, a professor and director of Emergency Medicine at the School of Medicine; and Tom Foard, a staff member in the Joint Warfare Analysis Department of APL--have set a combined university goal of $1.6 million. This figure represents a total for contributions from Johns Hopkins Medicine and all university divisions except for the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Money raised at SAIS is reported to the Washington Capital Area United Way campaign.

Last year's combined Hopkins gifts to the United Way of Central Maryland totaled more than $1,539,513, making Hopkins one of the region's top five contributors.

Other events scheduled for the six-week campaign include a Day of Caring at the Lafayette Square Community Center, Oct. 8; a concert by the Peabody Jazz Ensemble, 8 p.m., Oct. 24, Levering Hall at Homewood; and a lottery drawing, Nov. 5, for those returning pledges or contributions of $35 or more. The Day of Caring is an annual event in which staff and faculty can get directly involved with a local community service.

The money raised by the 1998 United Way campaign will support more than 250 health and human services programs serving 600,000 people in Central Maryland. Eighty-seven cents of every dollar will go directly to the agencies that provide services.