Athletics

Blue Out raises $78,928 for Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's Blue Out, the student-led charitable initiative to fight child abuse, has raised $78,928 so far this year for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. At 4:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Blue Out organizers will present a check to PCAR during a ceremony in front of Old Main on Penn State's University Park campus.

Founded last year by Laura March, a dual-degree graduate student in art education and instructional systems, and Stuart Shapiro, a first-year student in the master of business administration program, Blue Out collected $47,000 during the Nov. 12, 2011, contest between Penn State and Nebraska. Fans were encouraged to wear blue -- the color of ribbons dedicated to child abuse awareness -- and money was raised through canning efforts and the sale of Blue Out T-shirts. This year’s Blue Out game, Sept. 22 against Temple, brought in $12,814 through canning. In addition to T-shirt sales, money also has been collected by donation-through-text efforts as well as through the sale of Blue Out sunglasses.

“This could not have been done without collaboration between students, residents and the University," Shapiro said. "We hope that the Blue Out event remains a Penn State tradition, marking our commitment to creating a stronger community and preventing future injustices. While Laura and I are graduating in spring 2013, we look forward to seeing next year's Blue Out continue as a student-run initiative through One Heart, a student group dedicated to child abuse prevention throughout the year."

On game day Sept. 22, 42 students helped with canning, representing One Heart, Women's Ice Hockey, the Graduate Art Education Association, the Business and Society House, Phi Beta Lambda and Theta Chi.

For more information about Blue Out, go to http://sites.psu.edu/blueout.

Last Updated October 23, 2012