Source: Julie Lea, 785-532-7564, juliel@found.ksu.edu

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS: K-STATE PROUD CAMPAIGN EXCEEDS GOAL

MANHATTAN -- It's a success that lives up to its name: K-State Proud.

K-Staters contributed a total of $117,618 to the fifth annual K-State Proud campaign, Feb. 14-18, at Kansas State University.

K-State Proud is a nationally recognized, student-led campaign that raises money for student opportunity awards. The campaign goal of $100,000 was surpassed through a variety of campaign activities developed by K-State Proud student leaders.

The campaign features a K-State Proud T-shirt that contributors receive for a minimum $10 donation. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are encouraged to wear the T-shirt to express their K-State pride, and especially to a men's basketball game where the campaign total is announced each year. This year's announcement came Feb. 19, when the black K-State Proud T-shirts were worn to black out Bramlage Coliseum.

"The K-State Proud T-shirt is a great way for the K-State community to show its pride, but K-State Proud is much more than a T-shirt," said Frank Tracz, director of bands and this year's honorary co-chair of K-State Proud. "All contributions to K-State Proud fund two types of student opportunity awards, the K-State Proud Award and the K-State Hero Award. In the fall 2010, 35 student opportunity awards were given. The average award amount was $1,500 and the average awarded per week was $4,000. The essence of K-State Proud is students helping students."

Campaign week activities included an information table at the K-State Student Union each day and an information table at the Salina campus. Student volunteers were on hand to provide information about student opportunity awards, take contributions and distribute T-shirts.

Student campaign volunteers also visited Greek houses, campus clubs and organizations, and sponsored a cereal party to welcome students back to residence halls at the beginning of the spring 2011 semester. In addition to banners, posters, table tents and news releases, Facebook and Twitter were used to spread the word about campaign week activities. A campaign video posted on K-State's YouTube channel received more than 2,800 views.

"We're starting to see several grassroots efforts by students to support K-State Proud," said Ryan Wilkerson, senior in accounting and finance, Columbia, Mo., and president of the K-State Student Foundation and member of the K-State Proud Advisory Board. "We had a student who ran the Chicago Marathon and solicited donations for the campaign. Farmhouse fraternity hosted a pancake feed and we took contributions there. In its first five years K-State Proud has built a solid foundation to continue to grow the culture of student philanthropy at K-State.

"We're also very grateful for the ongoing support from our corporate sponsors," Wilkerson said. "Cox Communications and GTM Sportswear have been integral to the campaign's success."

2011 campaign co-chairs and members of the K-State Proud Advisory Board members include:

Kyle Reynolds, junior in arts and sciences-open option, Andover;Anna Govert, junior in agricultural economics, Cunningham; Chris Kellenbarger, freshman in business administration, Derby.

From Greater Kansas City: Ariel Sinha, junior in public relations, Gardner, campaign co-chair; Matthew Loeb, senior in microbiology, and Mitchell Loeb, senior in nutritional sciences, both from Leawood; Blair Konczal, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communications, and Justin Scott, junior in political science, both from Lenexa; Newell Bowman, junior in women's studies, Mike Ellis, senior in biology, Mariel Martinez, senior in nutritional sciences, Jake New, junior in food science and industry, Kyle Reynolds, senior in family studies and human services, Andrew Satterlee, senior in biological engineering and chemical engineering, Sarah Satterlee, senior in elementary education, and Erin White, junior in political science, all from Overland Park; and Claire Carlson, freshman in agricultural communications and journalism, Carolyn Gatewood, sophomore in pre-professional secondary education, Stephanie Larson, senior in elementary education, and Andrew Waldman, junior in industrial engineering, all from Shawnee.

Taylor Concannon, senior in political science, Hugoton.

From Hutchinson: Megan Barnett, junior in anthropology and modern languages; Reed Pankratz, senior in mass communications and marketing; and Brennan Richman, senior in biology.

Drew Goering, senior in park management and conservation, Inman; Dylan Works, senior in political science, economics and finance, Iola; Courtney Hallenbeck, junior in sociology, Junction City; Nicholas Moeder, senior in finance and accounting, LaCrosse; Michelle Colgan, second-year student in veterinary medicine, Lawrence; Casey Dwyer, junior in communication studies, Lyons.

From Manhattan: John Grice, senior in political science, campaign co-chair; Eli Logan, junior in architecture; Cassandra Robinson, senior in mechanical engineering; and Katy Zapletal, junior in kinesiology.

Jammie Layman, senior in philosophy, Marysville; Abby Guenther, sophomore in food science and industry, Ottawa; Becky Sullivan, senior in agricultural communications and journalism, Paola, campaign co-chair; Tyler Johnson, sophomore in business administration, Parsons; Hillary Boyle, junior in accounting, and Scott Summers, senior in engineering technology, both from Salina; Phil Harner, senior in industrial engineering, St. George, campaign co-chair; Abbey Brown, sophomore in business administration, and Drew Hansen, junior in music education, both from Topeka.

From Wichita: Alice Jones, junior in family studies and human services; Rachel King, junior in political science and communication studies; and McKenzie Snow, senior in political science.

From out of state: Samuel Brinton, senior in mechanical engineering-nuclear option and vocal music performance, Perry, Iowa; andRoss Jensby, freshman in political science, Beatrice, Neb.

The campaign is coordinated by the K-State Student Foundation, which raises awareness among current and future alumni about the importance of giving back to K-State, and cultivating philanthropy across the university. The student foundation is sponsored by the Kansas State University Foundation, the fundraising arm of K-State.