KU student group in national contest for $20,000

The University of Kansas student chapter of Engineers Without Borders is a front-runner in a Dodge online national contest for $20,000. The Web site, grablifegivelife.com, features the group on its homepage this week as “Video of the Week.”

School of Engineering students and chapter president Jodi Gentry said, “It’s great exposure for Engineers Without Borders and the university. We’re the only nomination with an engineering focus and the only one from the entire state of Kansas.”

KU Engineers Without Borders is a student-led chapter of the national non-profit organization. The organization funds and works on humanitarian projects in developing communities around the world. The chapter at KU was established just this year, and is currently in the final application stage for a project to establish a clean, reliable and safe water supply in Puerto de Valle, Salamanca, Mexico – a community of roughly 2,250 people.

The online competition is between philanthropic efforts that college students create and nominate themselves. The first group that gets 20,000 votes on the Grab Life, Give Life Web site wins $20,000. The winning group then donates the prize money to the philanthropy or charity of their choice. The student group from KU submitted the event “Wagering for Water: No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament,” a fundraiser for the group’s future project. The group plans to donate the winnings to their parent organization, Engineers Without Borders USA.

“If we could just get two thirds of the student body at KU to vote for us, we would win the 20 grand,” Gentry said. “We hope that the campus community will be inspired by our mission and vote like crazy.”