The Greenville-based non-profit organization Let There Be Mom is this year’s pick for the Community Service Council’s fundraiser at the annual BJU Homecoming.

Each year, the Community Service Council chooses an organization it believes the BJU family will rally around. The goal is to raise as much monetary support as possible for the organization to give back to difference makers in the community.

Let There Be Mom, founded in 2007 by Kipra Anderson, serves local moms and dads who are fighting life-threatening illness. Their mission, as described on their website, lettherebemom.org, is to ‘’capture the hopes, dreams, traditions, and life story of mom or dad in tangible forms ensuring that their young children always have a way to get to know them.’’

Let There Be Mom was chosen as the fundraiser for several reasons. Bradley Shepard, community service council director, said the CSC tries to choose a local organization and one that the student body can relate to. “Let There Be Mom is a very relatable organization,” Shepard said. “Most of us have parents in our lives who mean a lot to us.” He also said the money raised for Let There Be Mom will be not just be used for one family but for the whole organization.

“We can feel the effects of that right here in Greenville,” Shepard said.

During Homecoming weekend, the CSC will provide students and alumni with many opportunities to donate to this organization. Matthew Weathers, student leadership coordinator, said the Homecoming T-shirt sale will be the main source of funds. He encourages students to purchase the T-shirt that will be on sale the week of Homecoming.

Also, this year, the University Marketing Association has organized a new event for the fundraiser called the Bruin Dive. Dr. Adele Dunn, a business faculty member with the University Marketing Association, said the event will take place in two parts.

The first part will give the BJU family an opportunity to donate. The second part will give students through societies a chance to come together and donate to Let There Be Mom in a group donation.

Bradley Shepard, who worked with Dr. Dunn and the marketing association, said the first part of the Bruin Drive will take place on U.Day, the Saturday of Homecoming Weekend, parents are encouraged to bring their children to decorate parachutes for little Bruins bears.

A scissor lift will be used for the Bruin Dive, in which the ittle parachuters will be taken up to the top of the scissor lift and then released over a large target on the ground. Whichever bear hits nearest the center of the target will win a prize.

Shepard said participating in the event is free, but participants are welcome to donate to the fundraiser while they are there. He said, “If they want to get involved and provide funds that’s great!”

People may also donate by purchasing coffee and doughnuts at the CSC booth on U-day. Dr. Dunn described the second part of the Bruin Dive that will take place at the beginning of the Bruins men’s soccer game the Saturday night of Homecoming Weekend.

Dunn said each society will have the opportunity to sponsor a bear. To sponsor a bear, each society must raise a minimum of $40 for Let There Be Mom. She encouraged every society to raise as much money as possible, because the society that raises the most money will receive a $100 prize! Dunn also said 100 percent of all the money raised will go straight to Let There Be Mom.

Dunn said at the beginning of the homecoming men’s soccer game, the bears will be dropped from a helicopter, where they will parachute down onto the soccer field towards a big target.

The society’s bear that lands closest to the middle of the target will also receive a $100 prize. She said, “It’s going to be so cool to see all the bears parachuting down, but we really need all societies to participate to make this event a big success!”

Another reason to attend the Bruins Soccer game is the halftime fundraiser game. Kameron Hamedi, student organization liaison for the SLC, said the SLC is organizing a half-time activity that game goers can pay to participate in. Hamedi said, “We are trying to find something that people will get excited about.”

Hamedi said the halftime game for the men’s game was one of the primary sources of donations for last year’s Homecoming. “If students want to get involved, I would recommend going to the game, supporting the Bruins, and participating in the half-time game,” he said. “It’s going to be fun!” 

All these activities will contribute to Let There Be Mom, and many families will be helped because of BJU’s fundraising efforts. BJU is proud to partner with Let There Be Mom and support the community during the 2018 Homecoming celebration.