This semester, the Greek Inter-Fraternity Council, with the support of One Cornell Media and The United Way of Tompkins County, have been trying to raise money for Ithaca’s Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services. The initiative is called Change For Change, as it is supported by the national Change For Change organization which focuses on community fund-raising for local charities.
This IFC Change For Change fundraiser is unique in both its approach and its mission. The approach is competitive. Boxes were placed in each of the houses that signed on to participate, and every week the fund raising totals and rankings are put on this website. At the end of each of the two Spring fund raising cycles, the houses that raise the most money will be honored and rewarded by the IFC. This competitive approach has already proven itself an excellent motivator, as it was recently announced that the winner of the 1st round (Kappa Delta Rho) raised over $200, and the cumulative amount raised in the first cycle was over a thousand dollars.
The mission is also important. While the IFC could not have anticipated the recent campus deaths, suicide prevention is the most important cause of the moment, as it still sadly lingers on our collective consciousness. As we all come together and abstractly reflect on our University’s culture and values, we should also be looking at common sense approaches to prevention. Raising money for a highly active suicide prevention service is a small but important step in the right direction.
By Brookman, Andrew. One Cornell; April 5, 2010.
