Two Murray State Students are heading a program through the American Red Cross Association that will use fundraising to help members of Calloway County.
Laura Nightingale, from Hopkinsville, Ky., and Tyler Cope, from Mayfield, Ky., both are double majors in Youth and Non-profit Leadership and Organizational Communication. They were selected to be the student coordinators for the Heroes campaign sponsored by the American Red Cross. This campaign is new to the Murray State campus.
The funds collected for the campaign are used to aide residents of Calloway County. They assist and provide necessary supplies for families who experience disaster like fires or floods. The American Red Cross is also responsible for blood drives on campus.
Nightingale and Cope will come up with different fundraising ideas, in collaboration with different organizations at Murray State to help raise the money. All fundraising efforts will continue through the end of March.
Cope said he believes many students within organization will get involved in the fundraising process.
“I think it will be like use going to the organizations and then the organizations themselves doing the fundraising, we will just be delegating telling them this is what we need, and can you do this,” Cope said.
The University Store, located in the Curris Center, is already supporting the campaign by collecting monetary donations. After a purchase, customers are given the option to donate. When a person donates, their name is displayed in the bookstore window.
Carolyn Byrd, a bookstore employee from Murray said as long as the bookstore has the bookstore is supporting the campaign, students will come and donate.
Nightingale said after hearing the organization present the idea to her YNL 351 class, she wanted to take the opportunity, along with the assistance of Cope, to lead the campaign. After an interview process, they were both selected to take on the project.
Since this is the first year on campus, Nightingale and Cope have no set precedent. Cope said there is no specific goal they have to reach instead they are setting the goals and standards for the University.
“We’re not exactly sure what to expect so were just throwing it out there and hoping people will pick it up and run with it,” Nightingale said.
“For the University I would hope students and organizations become more community aware of what goes on with the Red Cross and the amount of funding they need to continue to provide the services they do,” Nightingale said.
“I think it’s important for students on this campus to be aware that it is more than just blood drives but the things they do play a part in affecting the people of Calloway County and meeting their basic needs,” Cope said. “We ourselves can volunteer to go out to those people, to help fundraise, to build up this community. As a community we can make a difference.”
Story by Ariel Watson, Contributing writer.
