photo illustration by SARAH ANDREWS
This time last year, Drake Live Drive did not exist. Now, after raising over 4,000 food and clothing items for the Des Moines community, the student organization is back for more. Drake Live Drive is currently holding a basket competition
providing holiday meals for needy families,
and prizes for participants are offered.
Drake Live Drive started as a collective idea for a service project between two first-year seminars
that morphed into a huge campus organization.
“It really honestly went from the smallest little project to a pretty influential organization in its first year,” said Joe Frake, sophomore vice-president of DLD.
Drake Live Drive operated by mobilizing groups on campus, including student organizations,
fraternities, sororities and residence halls to donate time, food, clothes and more. The beneficiaries of their donations are the Children and Families of Iowa, Iowa Homeless Youth Centers and Youth Emergency Services & Shelter.
“It turned out a lot better and bigger than we expected, and we’re just hoping to build upon that this year,” Frake said.
Along with feeding families, the drive provided
other necessities.
“We ended up collecting tons of young, hip, trendy clothing that these kids need,” sophomore
Lanon Baccam said. “That’s something we didn’t foresee, a really neat result of what happened.”
A typical shelter donor is in his or her 60s, so the fashionable and useful donations by Drake students help boost the quality of life for the youth receiving them.
The organization is currently holding its first fall Live Drive, in the form of a basket competition.
Basket donors will receive bonus points to apply toward the drive in spring 2010.
“The highest ranks will be the most elaborate,
most full baskets,” said sophomore and president of the group Lauren Bavitz. “For those who want to compete in the spring drive, it’s a good kick-off.”
The second annual spring drive will see improvements
such as two different scoring systems,
one based on percentage of participation and one based on sheer number of donations in a group. This is a change from last year, when the percentage of participation determined the winner.
“The organization that wins is going to get a lot of recognition,” Bavitz said.
Last year, the spring awards ceremony featured the Mari Culver, first lady of Iowa, WHO-TV news crews and more. While 2010’s award ceremony hasn’t yet been set, Bavitz and the rest of the organization plan to top the one held in 2009.
“I’m excited to beat our 4,000-item donation that we did last year,” Bavitz said. “I’m excited to bring the organization to a whole new level.”
After barely one year, Drake Live Drive is growing and it shows no signs of slowing down.
“Our ultimate long-term goal is making this a long-standing influential club on campus,” Bavitz said.
When are baskets due?