Students bowl to raise money for Delilah’s

Senior Michael Kurth wants to see Delilah’s Pet Shop get “back on their paws,” and he and his classmates are working to make it possible.

Kurth is the appointed president of the project “Dollars for Delilah’s,” an organization working to raise money for the pet store, which was destroyed by a fire one month ago today.

“Since they’ve always been around, we thought it’d be a good idea to do something local and in the community and felt like it would be better received,” said junior Joe Falender, bowling chairperson for Dollars for Delilah’s. “And since it recently happened, people would remember it and be really sensitive to it.”

As part of the event hosted by the group, there will be free bowling from 7 p.m. to close today at Suburban Lanes, 2634 N. Walnut St. Free food will also be available, and donations for the pet shop will be accepted at the door. Raffle tickets will be sold with proceeds going to the shop.

The pet shop sustained irreparable damage in the fire, and about 20 animals died in the blaze. The shop is currently operating out of a temporary location at 1040 W. 17th St.

Tonight’s bowling is part of a week-long series of events organized by students in a business and professional communications course for their final project. The course aims to focus on “sharpening analytic and decision-making skills, team building and project management,” according to the syllabus prepared by the instructor.

“Basically every semester the class picks some kind of project,” said Kelly Wilz, the instructor of the class hosting Dollars for Delilah’s. “The course is a chance for them to take what they learn in class and apply that to working with a business.”

In the past students have worked with various larger organizations, but the small scale of Delilah’s business and the recent events surrounding it prompted this class into action.

“We thought that it would be good because it was a part of the community,” said Kurth. “And people are attached, and because it was a recent tragedy, we thought people would be more willing to reach out and help.”

So far the group has already raised more than $700, said junior Doug Hungerford, marketing adviser for the bowling event. The group’s goal is $2,500.

Dan Johnson, owner of Suburban Lanes, also teaches a bowling class at IU and was exposed to the idea of the fundraiser after speaking with Falender, a student of his this semester.

“It started out smaller than this,” Johnson said. “It turned into something big. We’ll run with it and do the best we can with it.”

Wilz has also been impressed with the work the class has done so far.

“They have just been full speed ahead,” she said. “It’s nice when the whole class gets on board. When you have 22 students all working on it and getting really excited about it, you get a lot done.”

In addition to bowling tonight, the group will be raising money at Jake’s Night Club and Bar on Thursday and at the Bluebird Nightclub on Saturday.

“I hope we get people that will understand that if it were them, it would be a nice thing to happen to them,” Johnson said, “especially during this time of year.”