Jayhawks brighten spirits at Lawrence Memorial Hospital
LAWRENCE, Kan. – With final exams done, Kansas women’s basketball had time for one of its favorite events before traveling to the Big Apple. The Jayhawks spent the morning making spirits bright and spreading Holiday cheer at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on Friday, Dec. 15, as a part of the annual Crimson and Blue Holiday Project.
The Crimson and Blue Holiday Project is spearheaded by Kansas Athletics’ trademark and licensing office, which asks vendors to contribute one or more items that they regularly produce and send it to Assistant Athletics Director of Trademark Licensing Paul Vander Tuig. From there, Kansas Athletics disperses the KU gear to charitable causes throughout the Holiday season.
Among the charitable organizations that benefit from the Crimson and Blue Holiday Project is Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Vander Tuig enlists the help of Kansas women’s basketball to visit the local hospital, handing out KU goods and visiting with patients. While the project has been giving to charities for 25 years now, Kansas women’s basketball has been visiting LMH with the project for the last 23 years.
The first, and favorite floor, is the labor and delivery wing where the Jayhawks get to hold newborn babies, but more importantly teach them to say, ‘Rock Chalk!’ Following the stop to meet new baby Jays and their families, KU women’s basketball split up into groups and made their way through all the floors of the hospital, visiting with patients of all ages and handing out Kansas merchandise.
Over 80 of Kansas’ licensed vendors participated by donating all kinds of merchandise including t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, pennants and team posters. The KU merchandise will be distributed and utilized throughout the year to several different local charitable organizations.
During the last 25 years, Kansas vendors have donated over $400,000 worth of KU gear to be distributed to charitable organizations like visits to LMH and Toys for Tots.
Kansas’ trademark licensing program collects fees and royalties from manufacturers authorized to use KU’s trademark commercially. Royalties distributed from the program are used to fund student and student-athlete scholarships at KU.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
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KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
