‘Dogs with the Deans’ raises funds for Give to Blue Day
For the first time in two years, Indiana State University administrators greeted people on Give to Blue Day with maskless smiles as students, staff, and faculty entered Stalker Hall on March 16, for “Dogs with the Deans.”
At the hot dog stand in Stalker Hall, two deans in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dennis Ballard and Chris Fischer, encouraged people to grab a bun and a dog, and pile on their favorite condiments. There were also vegan options provided, as well as chips, cookies, and drinks.
Nancy Rogers, vice president of Community Engagement at ISU, joined the deans to contribute to the university’s largest single day of fundraising. The 24-hour event raised more than $1.3 million from over 1,800 donors to support scholarships, programs, and the students of ISU.
“We have anticipated around 60 to 70 people attending our table today, which are hopeful numbers. This is a nice way for faculty, staff, and students to connect in a more personal way,” Rogers said.
People were also encouraged to scan the QR code that linked to the university’s donation page while they waited in line. The page included a live clock for tracking the time left to give, along with the fundraising numbers changing each second.
“Dogs with the Deans” was the collective idea of the administrators from Arts and Sciences.
“It was a fun way to incorporate alliteration. We thought the two D’s made sense with each other, and who doesn’t love hot dogs?,” she said.
The idea was apparently popular as the hot dogs disappeared in less than 90 minutes. Online giving, even without free snacks, was also popular.
Interim Dean Bassam Yousif thanked donors for the $95,592 the College raised. He noted in a letter to supporters that the funds would go to support student travel, undergraduate research experiences, training cancer researchers at ISU, and the marching Sycamores scholarships.
