It’s not every Friday night Oklahoma State University students get an opportunity to make a difference in the future of their university and the lives of their peers. But on April 17, they’ll have a chance to do just that by participating in “Cowboy Spirit: Battle of the Bands 2009” at Tumbleweed.

The OSU Student Foundation is hosting this concert to raise awareness about the importance of philanthropy and to provide their peers with much-needed scholarship funds.

“I think in times like these, anything we can do to help out those around us makes a huge difference,” said Caroline Diedrich, industrial engineering and management senior and OSU Student Foundation president. “This campaign is all about educating students about philanthropy and giving them an event that’s fun at the same time.”

Cowboy Spirit is an annual scholarship campaign that began in 2008. Last year, the OSU Student Foundation raised more than $4,200, which was donated to its student-endowed scholarship fund, providing four scholarships this spring. Jill Holzbauer, English senior, is one of the Cowboy Spirit Scholarship recipients.

“Receiving this scholarship helped me a lot just when I really needed it,” Holzbauer said. “Because this is my fifth year, I lost other scholarships that lasted four years. This scholarship has allowed me to cut back my hours at work and to focus on my classes during my last semester at OSU.”

This year, the OSU Student Foundation hopes to raise $10,000 through Cowboy Spirit and to provide even more student scholarships next year.

“Cowboy Spirit: Battle of the Bands 2009” will feature Two Steps Back, Another Round, Mitch Hull Band, My Solstice, Bo Phillips and The Nightlife. The winning band receives a grand prize valued at $500, which Stillwater National Bank donated; additional playing time; and an invitation to perform at Tumbleweed’s College Fest in August. OSU celebrities will judge the competition, which begins at 9 p.m., and announce the champion about midnight.

Concert tickets are $15 and each comes with a free T-shirt. Tickets will be available at the door or can be purchased in advance at Chi-O Clock on weekdays between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and online at OSUStudentFoundation.com. If you are interested in donating to Cowboy Spirit, e-mail Abby Fox, OSU Student Foundation Coordinator, at afox@OSUgiving.com or make your donation online at OSUStudentFoundation.com.

The OSU Student Foundation was created in 2007 as the student arm of the Oklahoma State University Foundation. The OSU Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach.  OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations.  Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world. 

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