Lucky 13, an all-women service organization, hosted an Olympic athlete to raise funds for the Katie Kirby Memorial Fund.
Shelby Short, president of Lucky 13, said one of the group members knew Bradley Adkins, an olympic high jumper, and invited him to come speak Tuesday night in Chapel on the Hill about his experience. Short had the idea to raise money for the memorial fund which provides financial help for students through Student Opportunities, Advocacy and Resources (SOAR). SOAR helped her after she got in a car accident and she said she believes the money will be used to help students in need.
“Whether it be financially, whether they need an advocate for them due to medical circumstances, SOAR is phenomenal for that,” Short said.
Tickets to the event had cost $2 in advance and $3 at the door. About 40-50 people attended, Short said. She said the event drew athletes and other students and Adkins answered questions at the end of his presentation. He stayed in Abilene to compete Thursday in the ACU Wildcat Open meet. He finished 21st at the Rio Olympics in 2016, according to the Texas Tech University website.
Other Lucky 13 service projects included writing letters to veterans and meeting with residents in the Chisholm Place nursing home.
“If somebody has a passion for something, then we want them to be open in sharing what that is so we can act on it,” said Leksi Vasquez, vice president of Lucky 13 and sophomore biology major from Wichita Falls.
Lucky 13 has plans to recharter the women’s social club Delta Theta.