As the year comes to a close, the season of giving begins for many students. Throughout the Bloomington area, there are several charity events arranged to celebrate the holidays. Many of these charities help the families of needy children and provide gifts for kids at Christmas and Hanukkah. Others help donate food to the poor.
Toys for Tots\nThis Saturday and Sunday, Kappa Delta Rho fraternity is accepting toys and donations outside Wal-Mart. It will then give the donations to the Salvation Army. KDR Philanthropy Chair Bobby Meier said this is the fifth year the fraternity has helped the Salvation Army.\n"The best thing is we raise money and take it to buy toys for the kids," KDR President Andy Fortner said.
Children's Holiday Wish Program\nThe Volunteer Students Bureau, the IU Student Association, Sigma Chi fraternity and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. joined together to ask people to adopt-a-child from the IU Apartment Housing or Child Protective Services. \nVice President of Phi Beta Sigma Isaac Kinsey said the IU Apartment Housing and the CPS provide lists of underprivileged children and their holiday wish lists. He said as a co-sponsor of this philanthropy, Phi Beta Sigma's job is to encourage people to adopt. Adopters receive the list and are asked to spend $15-$30 per list.\nKinsey invites everyone to help wrap the gifts Thursday, Dec. 11. They will then deliver the gifts to the kids.\n"Our organization is service-based," Kinsey said. "We as adults need to serve and support the children in our community."\nTo adopt-a-child, contact the VSB at 855-8290 or vsb@indiana.edu.\n \nBowl for Kids' Sake\nBig Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana is hosting its annual fund-raiser Bowl for Kids' Sake. It raises money for Big Brothers Big Sisters from December through February. Teams of six from IU raise $420 and sign up to bowl during one of four bowling sessions Feb. 25 and 26. Teams from the community raise $500 and bowl Feb. 28 and 29. \nTo thank the fund-raisers, Big Brothers Big Sisters throws a bowling party at the end of the campaign. The party includes lunar bowling, karaoke and prizes. This year's theme is Mardi Gras. Tom Hargis, development director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said student groups across campus and greek organizations participate. Also, teams are participating from the residence halls. Last year, he said, IU students raised approximately $28,000. \nThe money raised equals one-third of Big Brothers Big Sisters operating budget. With this money, the group can screen and train volunteers and provide monthly activities.\nContact Big Brothers Big Sisters for volunteer information at 334-2828 or www.bloomington.in.us/~bbbs.
Ladies First in concert\nIU's female a cappella group, Ladies First, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union. The concert, presented by Pi Beta Phi sorority costs $10 and supports Girls, Inc. of Monroe County and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.\nPi Beta Phi Philanthropy Chair Angie Gladieux said the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is the sorority's national philanthropy which promotes arts and crafts for children. She said Girls, Inc. is a not-for-profit national organization that provides programs to prepare girls to lead successful and fulfilling lives. Some programs include math and science education and pregnancy and drug abuse prevention.
Sorority Holiday Basket-Off\nHoosier Life, a popular IU-related Web site, is sponsoring a collection for Middle Way House, a Bloomington battered women's and rape crisis center. Hoosier Life is asking all 19 sororities to compete in a gift basket-making contest. Sophomore Giliah Librach, a Hoosier Life representative, said the sororities will have a week and a half to fill the gift basket in the best possible way with items such as stuffed animals, board games and baby food. The baskets will then be collected and judged, and the first, second and third place winners will receive awards.
Fraternity Food Drive\nHoosier Life is also sponsoring a food drive at the fraternities. Librach said Hoosier Life will provide boxes to the fraternities and give them a week and a half to fill them. The fraternity with the most cans will win a prize. Librach said all food will be donated to Bloomington homeless shelters and food pantries. Contact Giliah Librach for more information about the Basket-Off and the food drive at glibrach@indiana.edu.
