Global Innovation - The Paul Merage School of Business - University ...

STUDENTS
26
experience INNOVATION
Working – and playing – for a cause, Challenge for Charity members spend time at local and regional events. Left to right: At Stanford
University’s C4C Weekend, the Merage Dodgeball team earns second prize honors, while the Men’s Football Team takes home first
prize…Volunteers Kendra Hammer (FTMBA 08) and Ashish Gupta (FTMBA 09) pack groceries at Share Our Selves in Costa Mesa…Special
Olympics Bowling Tournament volunteers and athletes rack up laughs and lasting memories.
Challenge For Charity
USING BUSINESS SKILLS FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROFIT
JOIN A STUDENT CLUB and you gain networking opportunities,
leadership experience, and a chance to swap
ideas with peers. Join Challenge for Charity (C4C) and
you’ll likely gain something much more.
On any given afternoon, C4C members can be found
cheering at the Special Olympics games or putting
together food packages for homeless families at Share
Our Selves in Costa Mesa.
The chance to put their business acumen to use for
the greater good, say organizers, is one of the reasons
they join. The rewards are why they stay.
“It has been a full-time job,” says past chapter copresident
Briana Ackerman ‘08. “I’ve invested more
time and energy than I could have ever imagined but
when I think about how much of a difference these
charities make in people’s lives, it makes it very rewarding
at the end of the day.”
C4C has chapters at several business schools, including
Stanford, UCLA, USC and the Merage School.
Founded in 1984 by Stanford MBA student Duncan
O'Brien to raise money for Special Olympics, the group
has since contributed a total of $3.28 million for Special
Olympics and other charities, and has donated tens of
thousands of hours of community service. According to
its website, C4C is the world’s largest MBA non-profit
organization.
Mixing Football with Fundraising
Like many chapters, the Merage group tirelessly hosts a
variety of fundraisers, inviting students, alumni, and the
business community. The annual Merage Bowl has
become a flag football tradition as alumni compete for
the championship. (Former champs FTMBA ‘05 took
home the win again this year.)
Members put aside their football cleats at the C4C Gala
and Auction in spring 2008 at Landmark Steakhouse in
Corona Del Mar to sample appetizers and sip wine courtesy
of Lionheart Wines and alumnus Leon Glover III ’04.
Auctioned items included a private flight for two to
Santa Barbara and lunch, courtesy of Dr. Ripu Arora
’09; Lakers tickets in the 15th row, donated by Toshiba;
and a one-week timeshare in Mexico donated by
Amanda Gast ‘09.
“We’ve been working with alumni and members of
the business community to join our efforts,” Ackerman
says. “We’ve recently been added to Boeing’s list of
charities. Not only is it special to have alumni show
their support but it is also neat to have them share their
new business ventures with the Merage School community
and learn about the successful accomplishments of
our Merage Alumni.”
Newly elected co-presidents for 2008-09 are Rakhee
Bhakta ’09 and Marc Cooperstein ’09.