Every year, the Big Rapids and Ferris communities come together for the annual Red Out event, where money is raised for the local Corewell Health Women’s Cardiac Unit for American Heart Month.
The Red Out event is hosted and run each year by students within the 489 sports communication seminar and 389 sports communication classes. The event this year was centered around a triple header of home games, including both women’s and men’s basketball games and wrapped up with thockey. Those who attended the games were asked to wear red in support of women’s heart health and could help support the cause through a silent auction bidding on a variety of donated items from local businesses and Ferris sports teams.
The 20th iteration of this event was held on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Ewigleben Sports Complex and began at 1 p.m., coinciding with the start of the women’s basketball game. The collaboration between the two sports communications classes and Ferris athletics has been an ongoing tradition to give students experience in planning and coordinating a professional event.
The Red Out event has become a beloved tradition by the community and campus alike bringing together a crowd of over 100 people over the love of sports. This year’s Red Out pulled in a record-breaking amount of $4,022.11, the highest that has been raised since the start of the tradition.
Business administration junior and president of the Sports Professionals Association registered student orginzation Korbyn Kahl, has been helping run and maintain the Red Out event for the last few years and it is a meaningful event for him.
“This event really means a lot to me,” Kahl said. “My mom, before she unfortunately passed away, had a lot of heart problems, so knowing this money is going to a good cause and rehabilitation for that is something really important to me.”
This personal connection to the cause goes beyond his role as an organizer, making the work especially meaningful for him. He explained that helping plan and run Red Out each year carries added meaning knowing the support is going towards something that has affected him and his family’s life.
Kahl talked about how the event was being held a little earlier than normal this year to ensure they could coordinate with both basketball games and the hockey game. Typically, Red Out takes place later in February but with the opportunity to showcase a triple header of games, the classes buckled down and got to work on a shorter time frame in hopes of achieving their goal of $4,000.
“Yes, it was a truncated time. We only had two weeks to put it on, but I think we knew what we had to do. We knew what we were here to accomplish. We knew how to achieve that goal, and I think the class is just willing to support that and were willing to do whatever they needed to do to help and achieve that goal that we have.”
Others involved in planning the Red Out said the fast turnaround only strengthened their teamwork and motivation.
This year, the coordinator of sports communication, Dr. Jen Coburn, oversaw the event.
“I am absolutely in awe of the work our students have done,” Coburn said. They each have their own areas of expertise, but they’ve come together as a true cross-functional team in a way that’s hard to even explain.”
One thing she noted was how the tighter time frame required careful coordination and planning from every student involved. Coburn described how this year was different, as Ferris athletes were generous enough to donate not only their equipment for the auction but their time as well, with athletes offering lessons in their sport, sharing their expertise.
“I’ve done focus groups where students say they love having national championship teams but still feel a little separated from them,” Coburn said. “This event brings everyone together. Our students, our athletes, and the community, so we can support each other.”
This year’s Red Out collaboration between the sports communications program and Ferris athletics allowed for a meaningful donation to be put towards women’s heart health, all while bringing the community together over a shared love of sports.