UAB to Offer Amnesty for Unpaid Parking Tickets March 26 in Exchange for Food Bank Donations

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) students, faculty, staff and members of the general public with outstanding campus parking tickets can receive a pardon on “UAB Amnesty Day,” Friday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

March 22, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) students, faculty, staff and members of the general public with outstanding campus parking tickets can receive a pardon on "UAB Amnesty Day," Friday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

UAB will offer amnesty for outstanding, unpaid parking citations issued by UAB Parking and Transportation Services in exchange for donations to benefit the United Way Food Bank.

Any individual with a UAB parking ticket of at least $5 and up to $15 will receive amnesty for it when they present their ticket and a donation to UAB parking officials stationed on the UAB Campus Commons on the corner of 10th Avenue South and 16th Street. Individuals with unpaid UAB parking tickets greater than $15 who make a donation will receive a $15 discount on their tickets.

Parking citations issued by the UAB or Birmingham police departments are not eligible for amnesty, says UAB Parking and Transportation Services Director Kimberley H. Fort. Pardons will be given for only one ticket per driver, Fort says.

The event is the brainchild of the outgoing president of the UAB Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA), Hernandez Stroud, 21, of Huntsville. Stroud says he came up with the idea to create a community-service project in which student organizations across campus could work together and to assist students who have received parking citations.

"This project is a way for students not only to receive amnesty, but also to extend an outstretched arm to the community," said Stroud, a history major. "It's not just about students saving money. It's a way for us to give back."

To qualify for amnesty, individuals must donate a minimum of five items. The items acceptable for donation are:

  • Canned and nonperishable food items
  • Packages of paper towels or toilet paper
  • Plates, cups or packages of napkins
  • Plastic utensils
  • Bar soap
  • Dish washing soap
  • Laundry detergent
  • Packages of paper
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Packages of hygiene items

UAB sororities, fraternities and other students groups will be on hand during the event to collect the donated items. "UAB Amnesty Day" is sponsored by the USGA and UAB Parking and Transportation Services.

For more information, contact Fort or Joy A. Smith, manager, UAB Parking and Transportation Services, at 205-934-3513. Also, follow UAB Parking and Transportation Services on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uabparking and/or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birmingham-AL/UAB-Parking/133757874194.

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