Building Goodness in April

Those unfamiliar with Building Goodness in April, or BGiA as it is commonly referred to throughout Saunders Hall, may be wondering why January just ended and I’ve moved on to discuss April. You may feel like February has just started and that I’m not giving any credit to the month of March. Well, contrary to the name, here at Darden, Building Goodness in April is a year-long philanthropic undertaking aimed at strengthening the local community.

Each year, come April, the Darden community dedicates itself to rehabilitating low-income homes throughout the greater Charlottesville community. The largest fundraising effort, a set of auctions (in which the items donated are from students and faculty members) followed by a black-tie holiday ball, occurs at the end of the fall semester -- this year raising $65,000.

The Auction: I was the lucky winner of a handful of items, including a Mexican fiesta thrown by two of my classmates, a round of miniature golf and jello shots “caddied” by two of my classmates, and one week’s worth of Whole Foods groceries delivered to my doorstep. This weekend, I cashed in my on my week’s supply of Whole Foods and now my refrigerator is overflowing with fresh produce. Choose My Plate would be proud.

The Holiday Ball: The Holiday Ball for BGiA has been hands-down, one of my favorite events to date. Not only was it an incredible social event, but it was a friendly reminder that it’s not all about “increasing shareholder value” (gasp). Having had so much fun at the last charity ball, I am excited about another upcoming charity gala. Tomorrow evening, Darden’s National Association of Women MBAs is throwing the 22^nd Annual Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) Gala and silent auction. The proceeds go to support SHE, an organization that provides a variety of services in support of domestic violence victims. Here at Darden, it’s April all year round!