2011 CHAPTER | South Korea Trip Winners
Without the support and hard work of our Chapters in 2011, 25 rescued refugees would still be hiding in China today. LiNK launches annual initiatives designed for chapters to offer motivation and encouragement. During the 2011 school year, that initiative took the form of a friendly competition.
150 LiNK chapters competed for an all-expense-paid trip to meet refugees in South Korea whose rescue and resettlement they made possible. Two tickets went to the three chapters that raised the MOST funds. The trip included chances to visit the DMZ, meet South Korean students who were also fighting for the cause, and the opportunity to learn more about the North Korea crisis from the heart of the Korean peninsula.
We were overwhelmed by the response, which resulted in a 116% increase in fundraising through our chapters.
After a full year of aggressive fundraising, we announced the winners of the trip to South Korea. Throughout the course of the year, we saw many chapters shine, but – thanks to their dedication and their unique fundraising strategies – these three were the lucky few to win tickets to send two of their members to South Korea with LiNK.
University of California, Los Angeles
Top Fundraiser of 2011
$7500 Raised
As a new chapter, it was exciting to see UCLA on top! Fall 2011 was an exciting semester for UCLA LiNK, and we watched them celebrate many small victories (like getting recognized as a student organization on campus, and having regular general body meetings for the first time). This chapter used their connections to solicit large donations from private donors and handed in a check for $5,000 in mid-December. Thanks to LiNK’s matching campaign, another $2,500 was added to their efforts and they finished out the year with $7,500 raised – enough to fund the rescue of three refugees!
Glen A Wilson High School
2nd Place Fundraiser
$6472 Raised
From the get-go, Wilson LiNK had their eyes on the prize – the trip to South Korea. We’ve dubbed the Glen A chapter as being “LiNK-crazy” because of their willingness to get involved with everything LiNK. From their first Nomad screening with hundreds of students in attendance, to the handful of members who made it into “The Race is On” chapter video, we’ve seen how dedicated Wilson LiNK can be. And their tireless passion paid off! Yard sales, lunch sales, greeting card sales, and COUNTLESS candy sales all added up, resulting in Wilson LiNK raising enough funds to rescue two refugees. With over $6,400 raised, Wilson LiNK came in as the 2nd biggest fundraiser of 2011, winning two tickets to South Korea.
University of Texas at Austin
First to 5K Winner
$6051 Raised
During the Spring 2011 semester, the UT Austin Chapter fundraised in unique ways – wristband and t-shirt sales, basketball tournaments, panhandling, and selling a real Texas specialty, fried Oreos. With the meticulous planning and the participation of all of their members, LiNK Texas was the first chapter to reach $5,000 during Spring 2011, and they secured the first spot on the trip to South Korea. Their fundraising continued into the fall and it was a close race – UT finished the semester in third place on the leaderboard.
