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Megan Cloutier, sophomore bio-medical sciences major at Grand Valley State University. /Elise Sagmoe
For more information on Megan and to follow her campaign, like her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/crazyforhope or follow her on Twitter @CrazyforHope
Megan hopes to raise $39,000 for student-mentoring organization, Kids Hope USA. /Elise Sagmoe
"From singing karaoke on a public bus, to being a living statue downtown Grand Rapids – I have a lot of ideas.” /Elise Sagmoe
Grand Valley State University sophomore, Megan Cloutier, has decided to use her summer break to raise money for at-risk student mentoring organization, KIDS HOPE USA. Starting July 2014 and ending in August, Megan will be campaigning to raise $39,000 for the organization through popular crowd-funding platform, IndieGoGo.com.
“During my freshman year at GVSU, I did a few silly, harmless things for extra cash. That sparked an idea to do silly things for a good cause,” said Cloutier, who has now partnered with KIDS HOPE USA in order to make the idea a reality. “Every $5,500 that is raised, I’m releasing a video of me doing a different ‘stunt.’ From singing karaoke on a public bus, to being a living statue in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids – I have a lot of ideas.”
Megan has already begun getting her peers on board. She has created a “street-team” of college students who have committed to share the campaign on social media, as well as donate to the cause. “It will definitely help me get the ball rolling,” said Cloutier, “I’m really hoping to make my goal in order to create more KIDS HOPE USA programs before the 2014 school year begins.”
KIDS HOPE USA has programs in 71 schools in Kent County. One of which includes Burton Elementary, a school widely known for both it's economic and educational struggles. Despite her goal to drive funding doing silly things, Megan has also included volunteer activities as a “stunt” in order to give back to the Grand Rapids community. “If my campaign raises $22,000, I’m all set up to create a neighborhood library box near Burton Elementary School.”
Megan chose to raise funds for KIDS HOPE USA after seeing the impact that her sister was able to make on a second grader after mentoring for a year. “I loved hearing the stories about how this little girl was shy and withdrawn when they first began meeting, and how at the end of the year, my sister could barely get a word in edge wise. I want to make sure more students have the same opportunity.”
KIDS HOPE USA is a non-profit organization that enables student-adult mentoring relationships through the creation of school-church partnerships. Nearly 1,000 school-church programs operate in the United States. Mentors and students meet for one hour every week during the school year, during school hours. The mentoring relationships allow children to excel academically, socially and cognitively.
For more information on Megan and to follow her campaign, like her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/crazyforhope or follow her on Twitter @CrazyforHope
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