By Joseph Lyell —

The Louisville Cardinal has received gifts from two prominent Louisville donors: Congressman John Yarmuth and former U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun.

Chair of The Cardinal’s board of directors Jenni Laidman said the gifts will kick off a fundraising effort for the student paper, with the goal of raising $50,000 in the 2018-19 school year.

Yarmuth donated $10,000 in matching funds in response to the news that U of L could no longer support the publication. Yarmuth’s history in Louisville’s print scene goes back nearly 30 years to when he co-founded the LEO Weekly in 1990.

“I relied on writers trained at The Cardinal when I was editing LEO, so I understand the value of Cardinal alumni to local journalism,” Yarmuth said. “I’ve long been proud of the work of this newspaper and look forward to its continued presence in our community, helping to prepare the journalists of tomorrow.”

Yarmuth said independent student publications help ensure accountability at the university, and provide a place for students to learn about the industry.

“We’re simply overwhelmed by the generosity of these gifts,” Laidman said. “These donations support the unique educational opportunity The Cardinal offers.”

Barzun, who recently purchased Louisville Magazine, gave $5,000 to The Cardinal through The Brooke & Matthew Barzun Family Foundation. The gift met half of the matching goal set by Yarmuth.

“The Cardinal gives students the voice they deserve along with the responsibility that journalism demands,” Barzun said. “And even more than that, it adds voices to the Louisville media ecosystem that we don’t hear from often enough. We’re so honored to be a small part of The Cardinal’s nearly century-old tradition.”

Laidman said The Cardinal’s website has a donation portal available to readers at louisvillecardinal.com, on the right-hand column of the page.

“We will be reaching out to other generous donors like Congressman Yarmuth and Matthew and Brooke Barzun,” Laidman said. “But we need everyone’s support. Every dollar will provide a place where student journalists can learn important skills that will last a lifetime.”

File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal