We're sending the kids to the game!

Update: In just over two days, we met our goal of raising $3,000! Thank you to everyone who donated and everyone else in the community who took the time to promote this. It means the world to us, and it shows just how great our community is. There could be some added costs, so we're still taking donations to cover those. We're also taking donations to buy tickets for kids and their families for later games. That way we can hopefully give these kids even more great experiences. So if you feel so inclined, feel free to donate more!

We're very excited to announce that InsideNU and Lake The Posts are teaming up with Y.O.U. in Evanston for a charity benefit that will send Evanston and Skokie kids to the Northwestern vs. Western Illinois football game on September 20. Over the next two weeks we will be taking donations from the Northwestern community to help send kids who would otherwise lack access to a day at the university with a tour of the school, a lunch with former Northwestern football players — including Dan Persa and Doug Szymul — and tickets to the game.

The goal of the day is not only to give some area kids the opportunity to attend a football game and meet some of their sports heroes; it's also a way for them to learn more about the university and see what makes going to college great, and learn how it's attainable.

Over the years, InsideNU and LTP have been fortunate to build readership that has turned into a great community of NU fans, and we're hoping this can be an opportunity for us and that outstanding community to give back to our school's hometown. And hopefully, it can be a way for Y.O.U.'s kids to learn more about the university and have fun at an NU football game at the same time.

How it Works

You can donate at either InsideNU or LTP. All of the money will go toward sending kids to the game, and our goal is to get as many of them in the stands as we can. Taking into account the cost of transportation, lunch and the tickets, we've estimated the day to cost $40 per kid (also note that the donation widget we're using, GoFundMe, takes 7.9%, plus $0.30 per donation). While we're welcoming donations of all amounts, keep in mind that every $40 you donate will send roughly one kid to the game and lunch.

Here's the donation widget:

Y.O.U. expects to be able to send 50-70 kids if we raise enough money. If we surpass our goal, the rest of the money will be used to buy football and basketball tickets that Y.O.U. can disperse to kids and their families for later games, so you can help kids and families in Evanston attend games (and paint Ryan Field and Welsh-Ryan Arena purple) far after the Western Illinois game. We hope that by working with our great community we can provide a wonderful experience for kids in Evanston.

Kevin Trahan and Jay Sharman

InsideNU and Lake The Posts

More about Y.O.U.

Since 1971, Y.O.U. has provided services and leadership to meet the emerging needs of young people and their families. Each year, Y.O.U. serves over 1,000 youth and touches more than 4,000 family members with a holistic set of services that includes after-school enrichment, emotional support, and mentorship. These services ensure youth success across all of their different environments - in school, at home, in the community, and in moments of crisis. Learn more about our impact at www.youevanston.org.