IND and Mercy team up to help Haiti
At the 44th Annual IND vs. Mercy Game, the rival schools come together for a worthy cause

The varsity basketball teams of the Institute of Notre Dame and Mercy High School will draw more than 3,000 fans for the 44th Annual IND vs. Mercy Game Friday, January 29, 2010 at the Towson Center. Those fans will take part in a special fundraising effort during the game. Funds will be collected for Wings of Hope, a home for severely disabled and abandoned children in Haiti.

An IND alumna, Kathryn “KC” Bersch ’98, has worked as the Director of Education at Wings of Hope since 2004. KC teamed up with a Mercy graduate in the summer of 2009 - Karen Buchheister ’07. Karen volunteered with KC and cared for the many children at the home. KC recently wrote IND about her experience working with Karen, "As an IND alumna, this is a work that I am happy to share with Mercy. Rivalries are fun and innocent, but when it comes down to real life, both Mercy and IND have a grand history of forming young girls into women with strong resolve to affect the world."  

KC Bersch '98 (right) with Mercy Class of 2007 alumna Karen Buchheister in summer 2009

Look for the Haiti table at the game and donate to Wings of Hope. Cash and checks made payable to IND will be accepted. All funds will be donated on behalf of Mercy High School and the Institute of Notre Dame.  

IND students, faculty and staff have already generously dug deep into their pockets and raised $895.69 for Wings of Hope with the goal of surpassing $1,000 by the end of the week.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., pre-game is at 7:00 p.m., and tip-off is 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets purchased in advance are $9; general admission at the door is $11. IND alumnae can purchase special section tickets for $11 and watch the game up close. Special section tickets must be purchased in advance at IND. Please keep in mind that IND keeps all the proceeds for tickets sold at the school but will split the proceeds with Mercy and Towson University for those tickets sold at the door. No online ticketing and no will call.

Please contact IND Athletic Director Jeff Dudley 410.522.7812 for tickets or more information about the game.

For more information about Wings of Hope, visit www.HeartsWithHaiti.org.