TIGER TV ONLINE REPORTER

During Saturday’s game against Auburn, LSU fans are will try to make history and raise money for the United Way.

During the first timeout of the first quarter, people wishing to make a $5 donation to United Way can text LSU to 864833. When someone texts in to this number, they will be sent a text asking them to confirm their donation of $5; then they will receive a second text message telling them their donation has been received.

The donation will be added to the donator’s phone bill.

“To our knowledge, nobody in the country has attempted this before,” said Craig Pintens, assistant director of the University’s athletics department. “We truly will be making history in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night.”

United Way has been working with the University’s athletic department since August on this project.

“The Auburn game worked well because we were able to fit it into the framework of the game and it gave us enough time to plan,” Pintens said.

United Way is a world-wide program that focuses on improving under-developed communities by improving education, income and health. Their mission is to seek out the underlying problems that cause a community to become underdeveloped and try and solve those problems. United Way has branches in 45 countries including 1,300 branches in the United States.

This number will stay open the rest of the year after opening during the first timeout. The number is open to all LSU fans, whether in attendance at the game or not.

“Anybody can text in, including people on the radio or people watching the game on TV,” Pintens said.

If everyone in Tiger Stadium texted this number during the game it would raise $462,000. According to United Way’s website if everyone in Tiger Stadium donated $5 it could help provide over 4.7 million meals, over 17,000 prescriptions, over 10,000 therapy sessions for disabled children or help over 1,200 families purchase a new home. It would also be a record breaking one time contribution to United Way.