Blitz Week to Benefit Family Promise

April 17, 2009

Oklahoma Baptist University's annual Blitz Week brings focus to a local organization by raising money and awareness for Family Promise of Shawnee. Blitz Week, a week of events and competitions dedicated to raising as much money as possible for an organization of choice, will be held April 18-25 on OBU's campus.

Family Promise of Shawnee provides homeless families with children temporary housing and supportive services, through the help of local churches and faith communities, seeking to equip the families for a self-sustaining future.

The program operates a day center, giving the families an address for job applications and other needs, and provides housing at night at one of ten participating area churches. The churches rotate weekly and host the families on their designated week.

"We specifically chose them [Family Promise] because we believe in what they are doing," said senior Blitz Week co-chair Corey DeGiacomo. "Many members of the committee had worked with Family Promise during welcome week or other times throughout the year, and felt that it was a great cause that really helps break the cycle of homelessness in Shawnee."

This year Blitz Week, ran by a student-led committee, hopes to raise between $8,000 - $10,000 for Family Promise, through the week's events and general donations.

To kick off the week, OBU's Mortar Board chapter will host an art auction Monday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the lower Geiger Center, showcasing pieces done by OBU students. Tuesday night at 7 p.m., members of OBU's faculty and staff will play the men's varsity basketball team in the Noble complex.

Wednesday afternoon Blitz Week RAWC games and 'Rave at the RAWC', an array of black light activities and rock climbing games, will be held in the Recreation and Wellness Center. Thursday, student will spread out to each Shawnee Sonic to collect donations. Students interested in helping can sign up in the lower Geiger Center. The week's activities will end with 80's Prom Night on Friday in Kerr Dormitory and Stampede of the Stars hosted by OBU's Student Foundation Saturday morning.

T-shirts are available at the Blitz Week table in the lower Geiger Center.

"Blitz Week is great for two main reasons," said DeGiacomo. "First it seeks to bring all students together in order to benefit a cause greater than ourselves. Secondly, it allows OBU to bring the good news of the Kingdom to the world."

Blitz Week, ran by a student let committee, has been raising money for designated organizations, including American Cancer Society, Shawnee's Hope House, Blood:Water Mission, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for the past five years. Last year, Blitz Week events raised upwards of $7,000 for Blood:Water Mission, an international organization that builds clean water wells in third world countries.