Members of Mississippi State University’s Student Association are working to make Bulldogs for Batson the university’s official philanthropy.

Roxie Raven, student association vice president, said Bulldogs for Batson is a series of events the Student Association conducts to raise money for Blaire E. Batson Children’s Hospital.

AudreyAnne Estess, director of special events for the Student Association, said starting a philanthropy for Mississippi State was her passion.

“Different organizations on campus, student organizations or Greek organizations, do philanthropies, but Mississippi State as a whole, until now, has never really come together to do a philanthropy,” Estess said. “If one organization can raise a lot of money, then what can a whole university be able to do?”

Estess said this past fall semester, there were several events that raised money for the children’s hospital as part of Bulldogs for Batson. There was a Harry Potter Trivia Night hosted in conjunction with the Honors Council that raised around $500, Bells for Batson, a cowbell painting class, raised about $1,000 and Change a Child’s Life, a change collecting competition between all the residence halls on campus, raised about $300.

Estess said it is trickier to plan events during the spring because of all the changes taking place to the Student Association, but there is a trivia month currently being planned for the spring semester.

“It will be very similar to the Harry Potter Trivia Night, but over several weeks with several different themes,” Estess said.

Estess said she hopes Bulldogs for Batson continues to grow even as the Student Association cabinet changes.

“As a university, we should be able to come together and really do something significant to help someone else,” Estess said.

According to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital’s website, it is the only hospital in the state devoted exclusively to the treatment of children and adolescents. She said patients come from all of Mississippi’s 82 counties for treatment of common childhood illnesses to severe trauma or life-threatening diseases. It is located in Jackson and is a part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Jen Hospodor, manager of Children’s Miracle Network at Batson Children’s Hospital, said the hospital is one-of-a-kind in the state of Mississippi.

“The care sick and injured children receive here often cannot be duplicated anywhere else in Mississippi,” Hospodor said.

Hospodor said the needs at the hospital are immense and support from the public is vital in making children’s treatments possible.

“Unless a donation is designated to be spent a certain way, it is used to fill the greatest need, which could be everything from character Band-Aids to life-saving equipment,” Hospodor said. “No matter the amount or the motivation for donating to Batson, we are grateful and so are our patients. It can and does make a difference in a child’s life.”

Follow the Student Association on Twitter or Instagram @Msu_SA for information about upcoming Bulldogs for Batson events.