THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
PAGE 3A
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LAWRENCE
5K raises funds for special needs kids
PAIGE STINGLEY
news@kansan.com
The KU chapter of Hannah and Friends will host the first annual "Finish on the 50 5K" this Sunday, April 13. The race will run through campus and finish in Memorial Stadium at the 50-yard line.
Hannah and Jayhawk Friends is an organization that works to bring attention and compassion to children with disabilities. Hannah and Friends was originally started by Charlie Weis and his wife Maura when Weis was a coach at Notre Dame. The inspiration for the organization comes from Weis' 19-year-old daughter, Hannah, who is a special needs child. When Weis came to the University he wanted to continue the organization but
make it unique to this school, so he named it Hannah and lavhawk Friends.
The money raised from the race will provide funding that will allow Hannah and Jayhawk Friends to put on more events next year to continue to bring attention to this cause. This year the organization put on several dances for children at Cottonwood Incorporated, hosted events with Natural Ties and put on a Special Olympics football clinic with the University football team.
Hannah and Jayhawk Friends works frequently with Cottonwood Incorporated, a not-for-profit organization that provides services for people with developmental disabilities.
"The main goal of Hannah and Jayhawk Friends is to raise
compassion and awareness in the Lawrence and Topeka communities for people living with disabilities," said Katie Griffiths, the vice-president of the organization.
Hannah and Jayhawk
"The athletes genuinely
the vehicles genuinely care about the organization and are invested in seeing it change the lives of the participants."
CORBIN BARNDS Hannah and Jayhawk Friends
Friends is a young organization on campus but has already seen much success.
"We are really excited about the outcomes of the events we have put on this year," said
Corbin Barnds, president of the organization. "And as we continue to grow we will be able to host bigger events to reach even more of the Lawrence community."
Once football season is over, Weis and his team become very involved with the organization.
"It is amazing to see how involved everyone on the football team and staff is in this organization," Barnds said. "The athletes genuinely care about the organization and are invested in seeing it change the lives of the participants."
Runners and volunteers are still needed for the race on Sunday. Links to sign up can be found on the Hannah and Jayhawk Friends Facebook page or on Twitter via @jayhawks4hannah.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN Kansas head football coach Charlie Weis started Hannah and Jayhawk Friends in 2012.
Registration for the race will start at 8 a.m. at Memorial Stadium. The race will begin at 9 a.m.
Edited by Alec Weaver
STUDENT SENATE
Lobbying effort supports student housing
AMELIA ARVESEN
news@kansan.com
The Panhellenic Council president received Student Senate support last week on a resolution that outlined the measures of the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act. U.S. House Bill 1449 would permit tax-exempt donations to infrastructure improvements in nonuniversity owned, nonprofit student housing entities, such as fraternities, sororities, KU Hillel and Chabad Center for Jewish Life.
PHC President Maggie Young, a junior from Olathe
and member of Chi Omega, will join 102 fraternity and sorority members from across the nation as part of the Fraternal Governmental Relations Coalition to lobby the bill in Washington, D.C., at the end of April.
"For me, it's about bettering somebody's life anywhere at some point down the line and making their housing more affordable," Young said.
The expected result of the bill would be an increase of donations to nonprofit student housing because donors tend to favor tax-exempt opportunities. Additional funding would
cover necessary infrastructure improvements such as leaky roofs, fire alarm installations and other repairs, which could lessen the extra payments students normally make.
"If there is a fraternity or sorority on campus that doesn't have strong alumni ties but needs a sprinkler system or other things fixed, that would be great for them to get the necessary money for that," said Eric Hurtt, Student Senate government relations director and not a voting senator. "I just don't know how bad the conditions are."
During Young's freshman and sophomore years, she said
birds flew into her bedroom through holes in the ceiling and roof. Erin McHale, a graduate student and member of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, said the bill is about improving the things that sustain chapter houses and maintain a safe living environment.
"It's the disparity in the tax code that makes housing improvements expensive, especially at the University of Kansas, where a lot of the buildings are going on 100 years old and they need some updates." McHale said.
University belong to a fraternity or sorority, and those living in Greek housing would be positively affected by the act, Young said.
Eighteen percent of undergraduates at the
Even though the bill has a 4 percent chance of being enacted, Young fully supports it regardless. She said she wants to do whatever she can to improve the living situations in Greek housing.
Student governments from University of Cincinnati, University of Illinois and Binghamton University have also supported resolutions that support the measures of the bill.
Edited by Krista Montgomery
After this week, there are only three Fridays of classes left this semester.
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