[NU Sports] Donating bowl tickets to Big Brothers/Big Sisters

[Jim Leonard]

Fellow Wildcat Faithful,

I'm passing along this information in case any of you (like me) plan to buy bowl tickets, but cannot attend the game. 

I contacted Denise Barkhurst at the Big Brothers/Big Sisters office in San Antonio (www.bbbs.org). She confirmed that if I send them my tickets (I'm probably buying 4 of the $55 tickets) they will distribute them to Bigs and Littles so that they can attend the game together. And, BBBS will send me a letter noting the face value of the tickets as a tax-deductible donation. 

The NU ticket office has a 'Donate' option, but since the tickets may go to a current student, I have to believe you can't claim a tax deduction for that. Plus, helping at-risk kids has more appeal (personally) than giving tickets to a current student, espcially one who lives in Shepard (I lived in Willard). 

The only trick to it will be to get the tickets from NU and then turn them around quickly in the mail because BBBS will not offer them to their members until they have them in hand (no need to promise something to the kids in the program and then not deliver). They are really go at last-minute ticket dristribution, so even if they arrive on 12/28, they will give them away. 

In January, after the Cats win, I will email the Athletic department and encourage them to work directly with such charities in the future. They can probably do the same thing for the USO and other groups. 

If you'd like to take this option, mail your tickets to with a brief note of explanation to:

BBBS of South Texas
202 Baltimore
San Antonio, TX 78215-1907
(210) 225-6322

You might also email Denise (dbarkhurst at bigmentor.org) to let her know your tickets are coming. 

Victory & Honor,
Jim