TJ Kelly

On Charitable Giving

You know that old saying, “‘Tis better to give than to receive?” I, for one, believe it. I think that giving money and goods are excellent ways of being charitable and generous. But, if you ask me, it just doesn’t get any better than donating your time.

I’ve had friends and family participate in events like the American Cancer Society‘s Relay for Life, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure‘s Breast Cancer 3-Day, and several other large programs. I have personally been a part of the Relay for Life, I’ve done work with Habitat for Humanity, and I’ve done quite a bit of work raising money and awareness through a national philanthropy called Push America.

Push America is a national philanthropic organization, founded in 1977 by Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity with the purpose of instilling lifelong service in its members and enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. I am a brother of Pi Kappa Phi, and in my time in college with PiKapp, we were involved with several different philanthropic programs. We held
our own events, participated in UMass-sponsored events, ran national events at a local level, and raised tens of thousands of dollars.

Every year, PiKapp sponsors a 5k road race around the UMass campus to raise money and awareness for Push America and for persons with disabilities around the Amherst community. This year, the PiKapp 5k Road Race will be held on April 26th at 9am. All of the money raised will be donated, 75% to Push America and 25% to the Special Olympics of Western Massachusetts.

It’s a great event for a great cause. The pikapps have already raised more than $5,000 and the race is still several weeks away. If you have any interest in running, helping, or donating, please visit the pikapp website and visit the Race section.

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