{"id":4390,"date":"2025-04-07T19:18:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T19:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4390"},"modified":"2025-05-14T14:15:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:15:04","slug":"leading-from-the-front-poshards-sponsor-saluki-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/?p=4390","title":{"rendered":"Leading from the front: Poshards sponsor Saluki Ball"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jo
Dr. Glenn and Jo Poshard are sponsoring the third annual Saluki Ball.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Jeff Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the third straight year, Dr. Glenn and Jo Poshard are the presenting sponsor of the Saluki Ball.<\/p>\n

After two years in Chicago, this year\u2019s Saluki Ball will be Saturday, April 26, in the SIU Student Center Ballrooms in Carbondale. The ball is a major fundraiser for funds that bridge the gap for students who are pursuing their degree at Southern. The funds are given to deserving students who need assistance with their bursar bill to stay enrolled and graduate on time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe research shows that if a student has to take a break because of financial issues, they have less of a chance of graduating,\u201d Dr. Poshard said. \u201cWhen we support young students with scholarships, we make it more possible for them, not just to graduate and get a job, but to be good citizens of a democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its launch, the Saluki Ball has fueled powerful momentum for the Bridge the Gap Fund\u2014an initiative that is changing lives across campus. This fund ensures that students facing unexpected financial hardship can stay enrolled and on track toward graduation.<\/p>\n

To date, dozens of students have received tens of thousands of dollars through the Bridge the Gap Fund, allowing them to resolve bursar balances and continue their education without disruption. Its ability to respond quickly to each student\u2019s unique circumstances makes it one of the most impactful and actively used funds at SIU.<\/p>\n

The Poshards encourage other SIU alumni and donors to follow their lead, purchase tickets to the ball or become a sponsor at salukiball.siu.edu.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can guarantee you there is someone out there right now hoping and praying that somebody will give them a scholarship, that there\u2019s some way for them to go forward,\u201d Jo Poshard said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of \u2018Is there a need?\u2019 The need is huge! If anybody is thinking about it, don\u2019t hold back. There is a student out there whose life is going to be changed by you stepping up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lifetimes of service<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Poshard is a three-degree graduate of SIU, receiving a bachelor\u2019s in secondary education in 1970, a master\u2019s in educational administration in 1974, and a Ph.D. in administration of higher education in 1984.<\/p>\n

\u201cI credit SIU with whatever success I\u2019ve been able to have in my life,\u201d he said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been able to do any of the things I\u2019ve been blessed to do without my roots being right here at this university.\u201d<\/p>\n

He taught high school and served as the director of the Southern Illinois Educational Service Center in Benton until 1984 after being elected to the Illinois State Senate. In 1989, he earned a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran for governor in 1998 and left Congress the following year.<\/p>\n

Dr. Poshard returned to SIU in 1999 as the vice chancellor of administration, where he served until his appointment to the SIU Board of Trustees in 2004. At the start of 2006, he was hired as the SIU system president, serving in that role until 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always proud of the academic prowess of this university, in fact the whole system,\u201d Dr. Poshard said. \u201cThe SIU campus always had a place in my heart. I would get out and walk campus myself from time to time to remember what it\u2019s about and who it\u2019s for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo Poshard is a 1971 alumna of SIU\u2019s College of Education. She is a retired schoolteacher, who has served on numerous university and community boards.<\/p>\n

\u201cSIU is very important to me. It means a lot to our family. We have quite a history here, and we\u2019re very proud of SIU,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Together, they started the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, which raises funds to care for abused children and victims of domestic abuse throughout Southern Illinois. The Poshards are longtime benefactors of SIU and many local charities.<\/p>\n

The Saluki Ball<\/strong><\/p>\n

This black-tie optional event raises funds that bridge the financial gap for students who need assistance staying enrolled at SIU. When a student needs help with their bursar bill, these funds help keep them in school and on track for graduation. This support is invaluable in Southern\u2019s mission to increase enrollment, enhance retention efforts, and support its students from start to finish.<\/p>\n

Each of the past two years, hundreds of Salukis and SIU supporters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus is on our students, especially those who need your help the most,\u201d said Chancellor Lane. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students who have received funds that help them stay in school have shared the impact it has made on them.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who didn\u2019t even know me believe in me and took the time to invest in my future,\u201d said SIU student Francesca Stewart. \u201cIt prevented me from having to go back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The funds that bridge the gap between semesters are core to the university\u2019s mission of accessibility. Keeping students enrolled is integral to continuing the momentum at SIU.<\/p>\n

\u201cReceiving bridge-the-gap funds was major for me because I was on that line of whether I was going to finish my semester,\u201d said student George Douglas IV. \u201cThat call saying I was getting alumni support, it changed everything. It changed my future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 Expos\u00e9 at 8:30 p.m., and the evening will wrap up with a DJ and dancing at 9:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

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 8 are $1,600, and individual tickets are $200.<\/p>\n

Get your tickets or become a sponsor at salukiball.siu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jeff Wilson For the third straight year, Dr. Glenn and Jo Poshard are the presenting sponsor of the Saluki Ball. After two years in Chicago, this year\u2019s Saluki Ball will be Saturday, April 26, in the SIU Student Center Ballrooms in Carbondale. The ball is a major fundraiser for funds that bridge the gap … Continue reading Leading from the front: Poshards sponsor Saluki Ball<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,16,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donor-stories","category-events-engagement","category-siu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4390"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4486,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4390\/revisions\/4486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}