In response to students' desires to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, Student Voluntary Services has arranged the Katrina Campus Challenge and a campus blood drive.
Student Government Association is co-sponsoring the Katrina Campus Challenge, where organizations across campus compete to raise the most money for the relief effort by 5 p.m. on Sept. 23. The group that raises the most will be invited to a dinner with Ball State President Jo Ann Gora.
The idea was suggested by Leadership and Service Learning graduate assistants Kate Eder and Amy Petrovich last week.
"It's kind of an idea that came together yesterday, so it's still in the beginning stage of things," Kathy Smith, associate director of LSL, said Thursday.
She said the graduate assistants took the concept to SGA so that more students could get involved. SGA agreed to co-sponsor the event by providing an ad in the Daily News and an award, dinner with Gora, for the organization that raises the most money.
"I thought it looked like a good idea because (the relief fund) is obviously desperate for money, and SGA is a big organization on campus," Ashur Lisec, SGA president pro-tempore, said. "I don't see how you couldn't co-sponsor something like that."
Any organization or group who wants to raise money for the relief effort can participate in the challenge. Eder said they can raise the money however they want to. The only limitation is that the money must be brought in an envelope to the LSL office by the deadline.
SVS is also organizing collection sites around campus for the next two weeks, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The organization is looking for students and groups to work the collection sites.
The LSL office is an official Red Cross Donation Site, and Smith said she was promised that all the money raised by the campus and brought to the LSL office will go straight to the relief effort in Louisiana. No definite goal has been set for the amount raised through the challenge.
"I would like to see us raise a significant amount of money," Lisec said. "I think a lot of people will be involved and will raise a lot of money."
The intent behind the challenge is to involve as many interested students as possible, Smith said.
"We really want students to feel empowered," Smith said. "Lots of students out there want to do something but don't know what to do. We are giving them an outlet but not telling them how to go out there and raise money. We just want to provide an opportunity to be active in the effort."
Organizations with money for relief efforts should contact the LSL office in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, room 118, or at (765) 285-3476. Anyone interested in working collections sites should contact Eder at the same phone number or at kmeder@bsu.edu by today.
The blood drive is being held in cooperation with the American Red Cross. It will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center second floor.
All donors will receive a t-shirt and there will be hourly drawings for $15 gas gift cards. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment by phone at 1-800-480-4403, or to email lehrmanjs@usa.redcross.org.
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