Franklin College Announces #GRIZTuesday, an Initiative Supporting Grizzly Athletics

Franklin College will host an online fundraiser titled #GRIZTuesday on Tuesday, Nov. 29, with all donations supporting its athletic programs.

“For the third year in a row, we will again be part of the annual worldwide day of philanthropy called #GivingTuesday,” said Dana Cummings, vice president for institutional advancement. “We renamed the day to #GRIZTuesday and are directing all the funds raised during that 24-hour period to our athletic programs.”

“This initiative will help us provide the best athletic experiences for our student-athletes,” said Andrew Hendricks, the college’s athletic director. “Proceeds from #GRIZTuesday will directly impact the college’s 21 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s sports along with cheerleading, esports and athletic training. The impact of #GRIZTuesday is far reaching — most importantly for our student-athletes but also for the many GRIZ fans who faithfully attend our athletic events.”

The college is planning to use social media, especially Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to market the 24-hour fundraising effort, as well as email and other college-owned communication formats.

New this year is #GRIZTuesday Shark Tank, an entrepreneurship showcase from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at The Artcraft Theatre hosted by Rafael Sánchez, WRTV Channel 6 anchor/reporter and 1992 alumnus of the college. Franklin College students and student-athletes taking the “Entrepreneurial Mindset” course will present their semester-long projects to a Shark Tank-like panel of judges. A selection of creative thinking, communication and leadership skills will be on display by the presenters. Students will be available both before and after the event for attendees to learn more about their ideas and cast a vote for an Audience Choice Award. The event is free and open to the public, with registration encouraged at alumni.franklincollege.edu.

The website link to be accessed for giving will be released on the college’s social media platforms beginning at 12:01 a.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Donors may direct their gift to their favorite team or a general athletics fund. The giving website will display a real-time running tally of the number of donors and dollars raised for each team, as well as an overall total.

Sponsors for the day include Miller Transportation, Elwood Staffing, Members Credit Union and Timberland Lumber Company.

For more information about #GRIZTuesday sponsorship opportunities, contact Dana Cummings, vice president for institutional advancement, at [email protected] or (317) 738-8235. Sponsorships are available at a wide range of levels and benefits, including a company representative of your choosing to appear as a special guest with Rafael Sánchez during the #GRIZTuesday Shark Tank event.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.