Two Bruins nominated for the 2010 Stay Classy Awards for philanthropic work
Third-year psychology student Erin Ward and fourth-year study of religion student Ramzi Dudum have been nominated for the Stay Classy philanthropy awards.
By Serli Polatoglu
Nov. 1, 2010 2:20 a.m.
Three years ago, Sigma Nu alumnus Mark Kobata turned to his fellow brothers at UCLA for help. Kobata’s daughter was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a disease that could be fatal without a bone marrow transplant.
Sympathizing with this personal appeal, Sigma Nu member Ramzi Dudum founded the UCLA Sigma Nu/Kappa Kappa Gamma Team Krissy Bone Marrow Registration Drive in honor of Kobata’s daughter.
After just two years of operation, the Bone Marrow Registration Drive is a national finalist in the 2010 Stay Classy Awards, nicknamed the “Academy Awards of Philanthropy,” for Most Influential College Organization. Third-year psychology student Erin Ward is also nominated for Volunteer of the Year because of her work as director of the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and Dance Marathon.
Dance Marathon is the main event put on by the Pediatric AIDS Coalition and is now in its 10th year of operation at UCLA. The event has raised more than $2 million for AIDS awareness and prevention.
Ward said being director of both Dance Marathon and the Pediatric AIDS Coalition takes up a lot of her time and energy, but she explained why she is personally invested in the cause.
“Two of my most amazing, influential teachers in high school were HIV positive,” she said. “One of them died recently because his suppressed immune system made him more susceptible to the effects of Shingles disease.”
Ward said she was frustrated by the discrimination her teachers received for being HIV positive as a result of a stigma associated with the disease.
Just as Ward’s compassion for her high school teachers propelled her forward in her fight for AIDS awareness, Dudum’s dedication to the Team Krissy project evolved out of empathetic concern for Kobata’s difficult situation.
Dudum, a fourth-year religion student, said he hopes to encourage people to register with the Be the Match Registry, a national bone marrow registry. While the National Registry considers the registration of 50 people a successful drive, Team Krissy enlisted 300 people during its first drive alone, Dudum said.
“By committing to donate bone marrow, volunteers save lives,” Dudum said. “About a third of the people we register are minorities, and that’s significant because most people that donate to the National Registry are white. People of mixed ethnicities are at a disadvantage.”
Kobata’s Japanese roots made it less likely for her to find a match in the registry, and she is still searching for a bone marrow donor.
Both the Bone Marrow Registration Drive and the Pediatric AIDS Coalition are committed to educating the public. After a decade of putting on Dance Marathon, event coordinators decided to expand their influence and create a year-round organization that would organize events to educate UCLA students about AIDS prevention and testing. Similarly, the Bone Marrow Drive aims to correct misconceptions associated with donating bone marrow.
“People think that you have to go through a very painful, invasive procedure to collect the marrow. The truth of the matter is that most people don’t go through the invasive procedure,” Dudum said. “People should take time to learn the facts.”
Ward and Dudum agreed that it takes time and energy to keep their respective philanthropy organizations up-and-running.
Ward said every year, Dance Marathon sponsors a group of child ambassadors whose lives have been affected by AIDS.
“Last year (during Dance Marathon), one 13-year-old boy stayed up all 26 hours and chatted with students the entire time,” Ward said. “He was having the time of his life.”
She added that the kids’ positive reactions are what truly keep her motivated.
“They’re so thankful for everything we do, and they look forward to Dance Marathon all year,” Ward said.
Members of the Pediatric AIDS Coalition Committee said Ward’s passion for the cause comes through in the way she manages her team.
“Erin is an inspiration ““ not only does she dedicate such a large portion of her time to Dance Marathon, but she does extensive work with our beneficiaries Camp Kindle and Camp Heartland. She spends her summers going across the country and volunteering with these kids,” said Tim Suglian, fourth-year Design | Media Arts student and assistant director of production for Dance Marathon 2010.
Both Dance Marathon and the Bone Marrow Registration Drive applied for the Most Influential College Organization category in the Stay Classy Award earlier this year. Unbeknownst to Ward, a friend submitted an application for her for the Volunteer of the Year category. Though Dance Marathon did not make it past the citywide competition for college organizations, Ward is still in the running for her individual category.
Voting is open to the public, and once parties advance onto the national competition, they try to recruit friends, family and virtually all interested parties as voters. Neither Ward nor Team Krissy has placed in the top two spots in the rankings for their respective categories yet.
“We really hope to get out the vote these next couple of weeks,” Dudum said.
If Ward and Dudum win in their categories, they will be awarded $10,000 for their respective charities.
Dudum said the extra money would help fund more drives.
_People can vote for the Stay Classy Awards at stayclassy.org/classy-awards. Voting will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 5. _
