Evening of philanthropy, elegance supports SIU students
By Jeff Wilson
CARBONDALE – After two successful years in Chicago, the Saluki Ball is coming home to Carbondale.
Hosted by Chancellor Austin Lane and Mrs. Loren Lane, the third annual Saluki Ball will be Saturday, April 26, at the SIU Student Center Ballroom. This black-tie optional event raises funds that bridge the financial gap for students who need assistance staying enrolled at SIU. Each of the past two years, hundreds of Salukis and SIU supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through the ball.
“Our focus is on our students, especially those who need your help the most,” said Chancellor Lane. “We must ensure the students that we bring to Carbondale or who enroll in online courses are able to stay enrolled and finish with their degree.”
The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 6:30 p.m. There will be a live musical performance from multi-platinum recording artists Exposé at 8:30 p.m., and the evening will wrap up with a DJ and dancing at 9:30 p.m.
The Saluki Ball features numerous sponsorship opportunities, ranging from $50,000 to $5,000. Each sponsorship includes varying levels of benefits and recognition before and during the event. Tables of 10 are $2,000, and individual tickets are $200.
Students who have received funds that help them stay in school have shared the impact it has made on them.
“People who didn’t even know me believe in me and took the time to invest in my future,” said SIU student Francesca Stewart. “It prevented me from having to go back home.”
The funds that bridge the gap between semester are core to the university’s mission of accessibility. Keeping students enrolled is integral to continuing the momentum at SIU.
“Receiving bridge-the-gap funds was major for me because I was on that line of whether I was going to finish my semester,” said student George Douglas IV. “That call saying I was getting alumni support, it changed everything. It changed my future.”
To learn more, become a sponsor or purchase tickets, visit salukiball.siu.edu.
