BOV: Over $20K raised for charity

$20,319 raised for Saginaw City Rescue Mission falls short of $30k goal; GVSU raises $31k

November 5, 2007 —

From staff reports

SVSU raises $20,319 for Saginaw City Rescue Mission

The end of the third quarter of the game on Satuday found Cardinals and Lakers alike waiting with bated breath to hear the crackly-voiced P.A. announce who won this year's Battle of the Valleys competition.

Altogether, SVSU students managed to raise $20,319.60. To the disappointment of SVSU students and staff, GVSU managed to come out on top with $31,082.

For the fifth year, SVSU and GVSU students have been using the schools' football rivalry to raise money for charity. This year, SVSU raised money for the City Rescue Mission of Saginaw and GVSU raised money for the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention program of the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

To raise money, SVSU hosted a variety of activities. Last Sunday, the fundraising activities kicked off with a bonfire. On Monday, students could smash a GVSU-themed car for $1. Cardinal Idol, an American Idol-style competition, was held on Tuesday. Einstein's Eatery hosted a silent auction on Wednesday. On Halloween, students built a cardboard city in the Courtyard on plots of land purchased from Student Association. On Thursday, there was a date auction where students could purchase fellow students for a date to a Valley Nights movie the following Thursday. A staff dodgeball game, a Red Pride rally, and a hockey game (with all profits going towards charity) wrapped up the fundraising activities on Friday.

SVSU-themed Billy Joel song wins Caridnal Idol

Sing us a song for the Cardinals,

Cause we're gonna win the fight.

By the time psychology senior Steve Farver reached his last chorus, the Cardinal Cage audience was singing along to the song that eventually won Cardinal Idol last Tuesday - Farver's SVSU rendition of Billy Joel's "Piano Man."

SVSU's version of American Idol brought a variety of 17 performances and raised about $170 for the Saginaw Rescue Mission. The audience donated money to cast their vote for their favorite performers.

Farver, with over $30 in votes, took the contest with his keyboard and vocals performance; runner-up William Gray wasn't far behind in donations.

Acts ranged from comedians, audience requests, sound effects, a Native American flutist to a cappella singers.

"It went really well," organizer Sienna Wallace said. "We had a good turnout and I'm excited to see how it goes next year."

Farver said he wrote most of the song earlier that day and spent under an hour composing the piece.

"It got everybody in the spirit of the Battle of the Valleys," he said.

Farver has played piano as a hobby for about six years.

Farver said, and sang, that he hoped the Cardinals would win.

'Cause he knows that the Cards, are gonna play real hard,

And beat on Grand Valley for a while.

Nu Lambda Nu braves the weather - in a cardboard box

Most students raise money by soliciting door to door. SVSU students build cardboard houses - and stay in them.

Student Association planned the Cardboard City fundraiser, hoping to get students and organizations together to focus on the same cause.

Despite the wind and rain, students showed up to try and build the most creative house using only cardboard and duct tape.

"I have always wanted to build a house out of cardboard and duct tape," SA Speaker of the House Barb Gordon said. "I felt like this would be a perfect fundraiser."

The donation price for organizations to make a campsite was $25. Additional cardboard was $5. The event brought in a variety of students and organizations including Phi Sigma Sigma, The Food Club, and the Rural Poverty Alternative Break group.

SVSU's Cardboard City raised over $400 which contributed to the Battle of the Valley's total. Nu Lambda Nu won the event, spending the entire night in a cardboard house and 40 degree weather.

Bidding wars contribute over $2,000 to Battle of the Valleys

Many among the crowd of student bidders that filled the Multi-Purpose Room for the Battle of the Valleys date auction were not hesitant to empty their wallets to snag the perfect date.

According to SA representative Becky Griffin, the event raised $2,002 for the Saginaw Rescue Mission.

"I'm just really excited so many people came out, and that so many different student organizations were represented," Griffin said.

A total of 51 students were auctioned off to bidders, who forked over anywhere from $7 to over $100 for a chance to accompany their dates to a group outing at this Thursday's Valley Nights movie in the MPR.

Alpha Sigma Alpha senior Nikki Davis received the highest bid of the night when she was sold for $151.

"My little sister and ASA are splitting the bill," said Davis. "They're great. I love my sisters!"

Another Greek-induced bidding war resulted in Tau Kappa Epsilon sophomore Daniel Porta and his girlfriend, occupational therapy senior Angela Seeley, paying $52 and $120 respectively to purchase each other. The couple engaged in a comical battle for their date against Porta's fellow TKE brothers.

"It was a hot commodity. I had to buy it," Porta said, referring to Seeley.

Athletic Director comments on first BoV

The Red Pride Rally put on by the Student Association on Friday enjoyed a higher attendance than any year previous. A DJ was present, as was free food - including a wing-eating contest - and there were speeches and plenty of huddling around the bonfire.

President Eric Gilbertson spoke, as did Athletic Director Mike Watson, who left his previous job of 24 years at the University of Miami Ohio to come to SVSU, insisting several times that "We are in a special place."

What does Watson think of the Battle, given that it's his first? He said his favorite part of it all is seeing the campus come together for a common cause.

"It's great that a student group would do this to generate student excitement. That's how great programs are built: everyone works together."

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