$12 million raised for Children's Center

Almost all of the $13 million needed to renovate the Oquirrh School for The Children's Center has been raised, thanks to a big boost in donations from Zions Bank and United Concerts Inc.

Zions raised $20,000 for the child-focused mental-health care center by purchasing 200 tickets to the recent Sheryl Crow concert and selling them for $100 each. All proceeds went to the center. United Concerts also donated $1 for every ticket sold, or $3,852.

The contributions bring the total raised so far for the renovation, already under way in downtown Salt Lake City, to just over $12 million.

"We are thrilled by the support the concert generated for us," said Courtney Garay, The Children's Center development director. "But we still need to raise $1 million more before the end of November."

Construction will double the capacity of the center and is scheduled to be completed in May 2009. The expansion effort began two years ago to meet increasing demand for services, Garay said.