The Fincher Hall Resident Assistants from 2012-13 included, from left, Victor Duke, Richard Gentry, Caitlin Amyx, Levi Ellison, Sara Grigg Camp, Terrence Lee and Sarah Eddy.
Student residents of Fincher Hall at Southern Arkansas University kicked off on April 7 a fundraising effort that will benefit the Make-A-Wish Mid-South Chapter.
The fundraising campaign involves several events to engage the Golden Triangle community.
A “Wings for Wishes” event at the Magnolia Pizza Hut is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. on April 29. Students will be handing out promotional vouchers, which Pizza Hut will honor with 20% of the bill going toward the Make-A-Wish Chapter.
A large part of the fundraising effort will culminate with a Fincher Cookout scheduled for 4-8 p.m. on April 30 on the scenic lawn of the residence hall adjacent to the Greek Theatre. Burgers and hotdogs will be on the grill, and a plethora of fundraising events and games are scheduled.
The public is invited to attend and participate in the effort.
Guests can look forward to good food and fun activities. Entry fees for events like a watermelon eating contest, egg roulette, Greek stroll off, volleyball tournament, dance tournament and others will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hot dogs will be $2 and burgers $3 for community members. Those with an SAU ID will eat free.
Terence Lee, Fincher Hall resident assistant and star of the 2012 SAU “Mulerider Style” viral video, is helping organize the event with his Fincher friends.
Michael Woods, right, assistant director of housing for community development at SAU, takes the breathe away from representatives of the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and he hands them a check for $32,127 in the spring of 2011. The money was raised in a collaborative effort headed up by Fincher Hall residents.
Lee said that the students began collecting funds on April 7 at the Reynolds Center. They will also be at campus events, such as the Spring Concert on April 10. The Make-A-Wish Mid-South Chapter has supplied the group with banners and artwork for promotional purposes.
Contestants can also sign up for the Miss Wish Upon a Star pageant, which is scheduled for November 26, 2014, at Camden Fairview Middle School. Entry fee is $20, photogenic competition is $10, and admission for three and older is $5. Contestants will be divided into eight age categories, ranging from newborn to 20 years. For more information, contact Haley Bird at Bird.Haley@yahoo.com or (870) 390-0119.
SAU and Fincher Hall have a history of community involvement and successful fundraising efforts to benefit regional charities. In 2011, Fincher Hall students led an effort to raise an astonishing $32,127 for the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The money made it possible to greatly expand the school’s library collection of books not currently available in Braille format.
