A CMU student organization is taking advantage of a local restaurant’s fund-raising opportunity to bring in some much-needed cash.

The Society for Human Resource Management wants diners to eat from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Fazoli’s Restaurant, 2111 S. Mission St.

“For $3.99 a meal, it is all-you-can-eat spaghetti and fettuccine alfredo,” said SHRM President Zak Aubert, Wallace junior. “A dollar of the cost of the meal goes to benefit our organization.”

SHRM is an international human resources organization that provides educational information services, conferences and seminars, government and media representation, online services and publication to more than 150,000 professionals and student members worldwide.

“We promote awareness in the field of human resource management, we take tours of different companies, we have guest speakers come in and we have regular contact with the Mid Michigan Human Resource Association,” Aubert said.

The most important thing the group does for its members is give them access to the MMHRA and to the tours, he said.

While the group has not yet voted on how it will spend the money it raises, it plans on using the funds to benefit the group’s membership.

“In the past, we have done the senior send-off, where we get together at a local restaurant to celebrate the seniors leaving. Last year, we went to the Mount Pleasant Country Club,” he said. “This year, instead of doing the senior send-off, we may set up the funding for a scholarship for group members.”

The organization has nearly 35 members and anyone is welcome to join, he said.

“All but one (member) are majoring in human resources, but we don’t restrict membership. We don’t have constraints,” Aubert said.
The restaurant offers the fund-raisers from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“If any organizations are looking to do this, we are open for next semester. We get booked pretty fast so they need to get registered, said Dan Manley, Fazoli’s manager.

SHRM typically does two Fazoli’s fund-raisers per semester.
“We hope to raise about $150, but the amount you get really does fluctuate. You can earn anything from $20 to $200,” Aubert said.
Manley said a fund-raiser made more than $500 with the Fazoli’s kickback, which does not include the money made from general public donation, he said.

The amount of money collected in donations reflects how much effort is put into the fund-raiser and the amount of community support for those putting it on, Manley said.

“The only thing they invest is their time and how much they want put into it. They just meet people at the door and explain what the fund-raiser is. We aren’t using them as free labor,” Manley said.

“We keep it the same price. We just give a dollar of it to the organization, and they can put out a donation can as well. It is all on how you promote it.”

The promotional fund-raisers are beneficial because they benefit both the students and Fazoli’s, he said.

“It is kind of a two-for-one thing. It is a way for groups to raise money and it brings in business,” Manley said. “We have a lot of fun with them. We want you to feel like you’re walking into a mom-and-pop even though we are a franchise.”

For more information about SHRM, contact the Office of Student Life at 774-3016.

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