Krush brings in money for charity

The Orange Krush Foundation held their third-ever check presentation on Friday, giving away their highest donation in the organization's six-year history.

The group presented a total of $96,800 to the Rod Cardinal Sports Medicine Fund and 19 local charities.

The Orange Krush is the student cheering section for the Illinois men's basketball team. Students solicit pledges from the community to become part of the cheering section, which is a branch of Illini Pride. The pledges are based on the number of three-point shots the basketball team makes in a season. Charities are chosen based on how they fit the organization's mission statement of providing an outlet for University students to give back to the community. Sixty organizations applied for money this year and the Orange Krush board narrowed it down to 19.

Mark Perkes, president of the Orange Krush Foundation, opened the presentation by listing off the names of the organization's board members and other people who have helped them raise money and provide support for the group.

"All of these names probably mean absolutely nothing to you. But they mean everything to me and the Orange Krush foundation," Perkes said.

Perkes read a description of each charity and representatives from each of the groups were presented with a check.

Last season, the Orange Krush created its second endowment, the Rod Cardinal Sports Medicine Fund, which helps support the athletic training program and student trainers at the University. The group presented its second installment toward their $300,000 commitment to the fund, which is named for Rod Cardinal, an athletic trainer for the men's basketball team. The Orange Krush's first endowment, the Matthew Heldman Memorial Scholarship, which provides a scholarship for a future Illini basketball player, is now fully endowed. Heldman was the point guard for the 1997-1998 Big Ten Championship team and was killed in a car accident in 1999.

The basketball team shot roughly the same amount of three-point shots last season compared to the 2002-2003 season, according to Allison Berg, assistant director of marketing for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. Berg said the increase in donations is because of an increase in Orange Krush members and All-American donors, which is the highest donation base.

"Everyone worked really hard raising all that money," Berg said. "Hopefully, it will continue to grow in the future."

The Orange Krush also donated $5,000 to A Woman's Fund, a 24-hour crisis intervention center that provides a safe shelter for battered women and children. Karen Simms, director of the rape crisis program, said the funds will go towards updating their computers and other support services.

"We are very excited," Simms said. "The funds are definitely needed."

Josephine Kalipeni, a student intern with Generations of Hope, said the $525 the organization received from Orange Krush will go towards much needed supplies for their teen group and private high school.

Kalipeni, senior in LAS, said the work the Orange Krush does is great and makes them more than a cheering section for the basketball team.

"They're really a cheering squad for Champaign and the local community," Kalipeni said.