BY ABBEY FOUTS
For the fifth year, Drake University will be hosting the All In event, a 24-hour giving campaign. This year’s event will take place from noon on April 5 to noon on April 6 online at the All In website.
“All In is something that you don’t even need to be in Des Moines to participate in,” said Mark Reiter, assistant director of alumni relations. “It’s a general campaign to raise an awareness for donating to Drake.”
Money donated during the event goes to the Drake Fund, which is responsible for allocating money to solving Drake’s most immediate needs. Donations can be specified to a particular section of the fund, such as facility or athletic needs, but most are donated to the general fund.
“It can be any donation from $5 to $5,000,” Reiter said. “The idea is just raising awareness that you have the ability to give back to your university and that Drake relies on donations outside of tuition to operate.”
Like many other universities, the idea behind the event is that a national day of giving bringing together as many Drake alums, students, faculty, staff and friends of Drake as possible, Reiter said.
To achieve this goal of togetherness, three social events will be taking place on and around the Drake campus to encourage participation in the event.
The first of the three socials, hosted by the Student Alumni Association, will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 5 in Helmick Commons if weather cooperates. If it’s rainy or too cold, the event will be held on Pomerantz stage.
This student-directed event will feature Dip ’n Dots, Jethro’s, yard games and activities. Maddie’s yellow slug bug will also make an appearance. In addition to food and games, donation stations will be present.
These stations feature a new technology called DIP jars, making the donation process easier for students. The jars are similar to old fashioned donation jars in which one simply places a dollar bill into the jar. However, instead of placing a dollar bill into these jars, one will swipe their credit card into the jars with predisposed amounts of money written on each jar.
Melanie King, first-year digital media production major, plans on attending the student social. Unlike other Drake events King has attended, King looks forward to being able to give back to her school.
“Not only is the event a great fundraiser for Drake’s needs, but it’s also a great opportunity to get out and engage with the Drake community,” King said. “I feel like it’s important for everyone to get the education they want and deserve.”
The second social directed toward staff and faculty will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 5 in the lower level of Collier-Scripps. Staff and faculty can expect to enjoy snacks and drinks while socializing with fellow colleagues.
The third and final social will take place directly after the staff and faculty social, starting at 5 p.m. at Peggy’s Tavern, in which the alumni of central Iowa will be gathered. Staff and faculty are encouraged to attend this event, as it provides great insight on the lives of Drake alumni.
Last year’s All In event marked an all-time high raising a total of $150,885.66 from 852 donors. Meredith Ponder, digital communications specialist, is in charge of handling all of the social media, website developments and promotions for the All In event.
“We’ve had to work really hard on this so it’s great to see it all come together,” Ponder said. “At the end of it, you look at all the work you’ve put into it and how many people were touched by the work you did.”
