In 1954, Roger Bannister ran an unheard of four-minute mile. Within a year, nine other people had broken that record. “Just like he (Bannister) opened up a whole new realm of possibilities, Greek Links at Mississippi State has done that for all other universities,” Don Carmichael, president and founder of Champion Golf Events of Birmingham, Ala., and Greek Links creator, said.
“Mississippi State is a flagship, as I see it, for all other universities to get involved in Greek Links,” Carmichael said.
Sunday, Greek Links ended with a bowling tournament fit for a child. Mississippi State Greeks interacted with chronically ill children from Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn.
“To them, a college student is a hero. They really do perceive it that way,” Connie Haygood, Le Bonheur’s regional representative for development, said.
Haygood said there was a “gamut” of activities for the children. “They can bowl with the Greeks; they have tokens for the arcade. They can watch TV or do arts and crafts,” she said.
Lauren Cooper, executive director of the Greek Links committee, said that the bowling tournament was designed to place children on bowling teams with the Greek students.
“It didn’t work out the way we wanted to with that, but the Greeks are walking down and interacting with the kids just fine,” Cooper said. “The fraternity and sorority members are playing with the kids, and the kids just seem to be so excited about that.”
Although the Greek Link activities have concluded, Cooper said that letter writing and the fund-raising campaign will not conclude until late December.
“We will have a check presentation sometime in January. Right now everyone on my committee is so positive about the amount of money we have had come in so far,” Cooper said.
Le Bonheur will receive 40 percent of the money that Mississippi State raises. Haygood said with the money donated, Le Bonheur plans to couple that with the money that will come in from the capital campaign they are about to start.
“They are looking at renovating the emergency room. They are also looking at upgrading our cardiovascular services,” Haygood said. “Pretty much the money we raise for the next two years will go toward that.”
Haygood stressed how vital charitable donations are to the survival of an institution like Le Bonheur. “For the last five years my department has raised over $1.3 million. However, we give away an average $45 million in care that is so expensive, and we never get that back,” she said.
“When you talk about specialty medicines, we have to have all the specialty equipment. You have to have state of the art, cutting edge equipment because you are dealing with life and death situations,” Haygood said.
Greek Links gives college students an opportunity to give back not only to their own community and Greek organizations, but also to extending communities.
“Our No. 1 priority is to impact more lives,” Carmichael said. “By raising enough money, we know that literally hundreds of people’s lives will be touched in positive ways.”
Carmichael said this campaign is geared to “ignite a spark and an interest in helping other people.
“You take college students and you unite them behind a cause, and the result is spectacular.”
Starkville’s Mayor Mack Rutledge was one of many to make an appearance at the tournament. “Mayor Rutledge was here and he was so positive.” Cooper said. Mayor Rutledge was followed by tough competition, as Bully was the next to arrive. “Bully got here, and all the kids just lit up,” Cooper said.
The daylong event gave the children an opportunity to forget about illnesses, medicines and surgery. “They get to be kids today,” Haygood said. “Today is almost like a victory celebration for them. They’ve been there, and they’ve overcome the odds.”
Cory Smith, an 18-year patient at Le Bonheur was one of the attendees of the tournament. He said that events like this are always highly regarded. “A lot of the patients that have been to Le Bonheur are sick and don’t get out much. Stuff like this is all they get to go to. It is really cool when people put this on for people like us.”
Smith sees his illness as a tool to achieve his goals rather than a burden to hold him back. “I believe that you’re put on this earth for a soul reason, and you know having cystic fibrosis, it caused me to be sick a lot.
“Now that I’ve left Le Bonheur and know a lot about it, I can go out and tell everybody else how great Le Bonheur’s is. I feel like I’ve done what I’ve been put on this earth for, and it makes me feel great, ” Smith said.
Smith uses his experience as Le Bonheur as a motivational instrument to educate the public and to continue raising funds for Le Bonheur.
“I say look at me and what I am and what I’ve gotten to do. If it wasn’t for those people who put on fund raisers and make a place like Le Bonheur possible to exist, I wouldn’t be here. Le Bonheur saved my life many times,” Smith said.
Greek Links events allow organizations to raise two to three times more money than previous fund-raisers at Mississippi State, Carmichael said.
Carmichael said Greek Links has three objectives-emphasize philanthropy as a priority in the Greek System, showcase Greeks in the news for good happenings and give the Greeks something to be proud of and show for their time and leadership spent on campus.
“What we are wanting to do (with Greek Links) is start strategically making a band wagon that people want to jump on and be a part of,” Carmichael said. “It’s like I said about Roger Bannister, because you all have done it now, it opened the door to dozens of other universities.”