Linus Foundation Gives Blankets and More to Children in Need

Thanks to the coordination of a few dedicated MBAs, as well as the cooperation and charity of a few local bars, almost 100 Bar Golfers hit the 6-bar course on a Thursday in late October to "help homeless children have sweeter dreams." The Linus Foundation's Bar Golf Tournament brought together teams of 5 who pooled together a $150 donation/tournament entry fee for a fun night making the most of the South U and Church St. (watering) holes. Though most event participants were not considering the end result of their libation-driven efforts during that evening (other than how they would feel the next morning), little did they know that their efforts will translate to the extreme joy and happiness of homeless children in the Ann Arbor and Detroit area. Seems a bit paradoxical, perhaps. but quite the favorable paradox at that.

Linus met again this past Wednesday evening at the course's 3rd hole, BTB Cantina, and organized a group of volunteers to assemble care packages for the children, driven from the donations received at Bar Golf. The packages consist of a "Project Night Night" tote bag, each filled with a new security blanket, a children's book, and a stuffed animal.

Project Night Night's mission is "to provide Night Night Packages, free of charge, to homeless children from birth to pre-teen who need childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn and significant." The organization also seeks to "establish a foundation for lasting change through the meaningful, hands-on volunteer opportunities provided to thousands of individuals each year."

The MSJ had a chance to sit down with Josh Mandel-Brehm, Andrew Boyink, and Tony Ehrbar of the Linus Foundation here at Ross for some more insight into the organization and opportunities for the Ross and Ann Arbor community to continue to help and volunteer.

1. What is the origin of The Linus Foundation?

"The Linus Foundation was founded in 2005 by seniors at Washington University in St. Louis. During their tenure at Wash U, these young men developed a strong bond with the local community, and when faced with the reality of graduation, became focused on leaving as beneficial and lasting an effect on St. Louis as it had left on each of them. These efforts have now transcended beyond St. Louis as young professional are working together to make a difference in their respective cities and local communities. To learn more about Linus, please visit www.linusfoundation.org." --Josh

2. How did The Linus Foundation come to Ross?

"After watching Linus grow from an idea to a successful non-profit, I've witnessed first-hand the value that we, as future leaders, can bring to a community. Andrew and I worked together in Boston, and with Andrew deciding to attend Ross, it was a perfect opportunity to start a new Linus chapter in the Ann Arbor area. The Ross community has such excited, ambitious, and motivated students, we realized it would be a lost opportunity if we did not try to engage our peers."-Josh

3. Whobenefits from the work of the Foundation? Do beneficiaries vary from event to event?

"We raise money for foundations that provide services for at-risk children. We choose a different organization for each event. We are currently raising money for Project Night Night." -Andrew

4. Why did you decide to join the Linus Team and dedicate time to this organization?

"I was looking for a way to get involved and give back to the community when I was in Boston, and I knew Josh previously from school. When I saw what he was doing with Linus, I realized that it was perfect for me because it allowed me to leverage my social network to do good for the community. When I got to Michigan, and Josh was here, we decided to start a chapter here, trying to build the brand at the university level." -Andrew

"During my M-Trek to Guatemala, Boyink and Josh told me about Linus and I was immediately intrigued by its approach to giving back. While I have helped out with several charities in the past, I hadn't found a charitable outlet that really leveraged my skill set. I really enjoy the opportunity to plan an event that people are excited to participate in which also helps out in the community." -Tony

5. The Bar Golf event a few weeks ago was a huge success. How much did you raise and how many care packages were created with those donations? To where and who do the care packages go?

"We raised nearly $1500 from the event, thanks to the contributions of all the golfers and our sponsors. BTB Cantina also helped us raise several hundred dollars by donating 50% of their sales during our bar golf registration. Along with the funds raised from our beer pong tournament at Mitch's in September, we were able to create 115 care packages!" -Tony
6. What and when is the next Linus event?

"We are planning a few smaller events over the next few months, including a holiday party and a benefit concert, which will all lead up to our big spring event. If you are interested in getting involved or want to keep up on current news, we have created a Facebook group (search for 'The Linus Foundation - University of Michigan')."-Tony

"The spring event will be a little different than the ones we have thrown so far. We will have a goal of raising a lot more money and really getting the name of Linus out in the community. We will continue to leverage our social networks to throw an event that will be cocktail attire at a nicer location, maybe at a location where we can rent out a ball room. There will be raffles of products donated from local businesses. The beer, liquor, and wine will be donated by a local distributor, and we will find another local area foundation that works with at-need children. They will be encouraged to speak to the crowd about what they are doing in the area. There will be more information coming out soon." -Andrew