WHITEWATER – Over the years, the various student organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have accomplished big things individually. But on April 17 and 19, they will come together as one to bring an enormous amount of hope to one little girl.
On April 17, UW-Whitewater Women’s Sports will be holding a 5K walk/run to raise money for the Women’s Sports Foundation and for “Hope for Hailey,” a fundraiser that benefits Hailey Meltz, a child with an inoperable, and so far incurable, brain tumor called Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma (PLGA). The event begins at noon and registration will be held before the race begins on April 17 at the Lawcon Picnic Shelter located behind Wells Hall.
For those interested in participating, but find working up a sweat in the hot sun not so much fun, UW-Whitewater’s American Marketing Association (AMA) has an evening alternative.
On April 19, AMA along with several other student organizations will host a casino night at the Hamilton Center with all of the night’s proceeds going to the PLGA Foundation.
“Deciding to support Team Hailey and the PLGA Foundation was the easiest decision to make since AMA feels a real connection to this cause,” said Carolyn Schweitzer, AMA board member and Meltz’s cousin. “We never imagined this year’s event to succeed as much as it has already. We are extremely proud to be working together with numerous campus organizations, the Whitewater community, families and friends to raise money for Hailey and thousands of children suffering from this disease.”
The theme of the event is “Hope for Hailey. Win Big. Give Big.” Tickets for the event can be purchased for $25 ahead of time, or $35 at the door. Casino night kicks off at 6 p.m., and goes until 8:30 p.m. Participants can mingle, snack on hors d’oeuvres, sip soda, bid on the high-ticket silent auction items and compete in casino games for prizes. Each ticket purchased to attend the event includes $1,500 in play money to be used during the casino portion of the evening. If an individual runs out of casino money, there will be an opportunity to buy more, and every $500 in chips purchased gets the individual one ticket to the Casino Night raffle. Also, for every $500 in casino money won, attendees receive one ticket to the raffle.
Following the casino portion, comedian Al Goodwin will perform at the Down Under from 9-10 p.m. The Baymont Inn donated a room for Goodwin on the night of the event.
Immediately following Goodwin’s performance, a 50/50 charity raffle will be held. Attendees can purchase tickets beginning now up until the night’s events. GMA Printing of Whitewater donated 1,000 tickets for the raffle.
A dozen UW-Whitewater organizations have stepped up to help with the event, including: AMA, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated, Latinos United, IMPACT, Social Work Student Organization, Southeast Asian Organization, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Tri Sigma, Alpha Sigma, Delta Zeta, Residence Hall Association and Association of Resident Assistants.
A large portion of the funding for the event is also being contributed by the American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF). The AMAF provided a generous donation of $1,000 to support the fight against PLGA. They are pleased to provide their support to the UW-Whitewater AMA chapter’s “Hope for Hailey. Win Big, Give Big” event. UW-Whitewater Career and Leadership Development also pitched in with a $1,500 donation to fund the event.
Registration forms can be found on the AMA Web site: http://orgs.uww.edu/ama/hopeforhailey.html. There is also a short documentary available on the site that shows Hailey and her family.
For more information, contact Carolyn Schweitzer at schweitzce27@uww.edu.
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Kyle Kopplin, (262) 472-3153, kopplinka01@uww.edu
