By Jennifer Charney, OU Staff Writer

Oakland University, OU's Meadow Brook Theatre and the OU Student Program Board (SPB) donated $8,680 to the American Red Cross on Tuesday, Oct. 16, to benefit victims of the September terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, Oakland’s Chaldean American Student Association announced that it will donate $500 to two terrorist disaster funds.

SPB members raised about $1,800 for the American Red Cross during a September 12-21 ribbon sale in the Oakland Center. President Gary D. Russi contributed $1,000 from a university gift account on behalf of the entire OU community; and Meadow Brook Theatre contributed $5,880, which it collected from its patrons.

“We ran a ribbon campaign to show unity among Americans and to raise support in the aftermath of the attacks,” said Lynn Bieszki, an organizer of the sale and an elementary education senior.

Other students who helped with the ribbon sale include Beth Collins, communications senior; Anton Botosan, marketing senior; and Stacey Keast, communications and journalism junior.

Mike Maslyn, chief development officer of the American Red Cross Southeast Michigan Chapter, accepted the donation from Bieszki and Peggy Cooke, director of Auxiliary Services, during OU’s fall blood drive. The funds will be used to feed rescue workers and pay for funerals, among other things.

“Oakland’s blood drive and financial donation represent significant generosity,” Maslyn said.

OU’s Chaldean American Student Association (CASA) raised $250 by selling “stars of unity” in the Oakland Center on Sept. 28 and Oct. 2. CASA matched that amount with funds it raised last year at various events, for a total donation of $500.

Funds will benefit the WTC Police Disaster Fund and the 9-11 Disaster Fund of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

The association posted the $1 and $10 stars in the Oakland Center, displaying donors’ names.

“With the money, we will send a letter explaining what we did,” said association secretary Priscilla Konja, a computer engineering sophomore. “We will also send a few of the stars to show some of the messages people wrote on them.”

“We want to show that we care, that we are also affected by what went on, and we want to help out as much as we can,” Konja said.