LB3 supporters shoot for donations

November 16, 2009 by Pashtana Usufzy 

Fundraiser launch brings friends, family together

Standing confidently in front of dozens of supporters, UNLV’s Rebel Girls danced to the song “Miss You” by Aaliyah, memorializing a fallen friend.

Rebel Girl and junior Dilyana Pamoukova was just one of a crowd of attendees at Thursday night’s Lindsay Bennett Memorial LB3 kickoff, aimed at raising awareness of the new program designed to honor Bennett.

“We all miss her so very much,” Pamoukova said. “We think about her all the time.”

Bennett, a freshman majoring in architecture, died three days before her 19th birthday in April as the result of a car collision.

The other party in the accident was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

Basketball coach Lon Kruger, Bennett’s family and the Rebel Girls have announced the launch of the LB3 program, which will raise funds for the Lindsay Bennett Scholarship fund and drunk driving prevention groups.

“As a parent, the worst tragedy you imagine is losing a child,” Kruger told the audience packed around a stage, which was set up near the Student Union Amphitheater.

Kruger said the program “is going to save lives” and encouraged all members of the campus to become involved with the program.

LB3, which stands for Lindsay Bennett 3, will ask participants to pledge to contribute at least 10 cents for every three-pointer made by the Runnin’ Rebels basketball team during the games this season.

This money will help to fund a scholarship in Bennett’s honor for a UNLV-bound student at Coronado, the high school from which she graduated in 2008. Another scholarship will be funded to support one Rebel Girl.

The student group Rebels Against Drunk Driving and the Every 15 Minutes drunk-driving prevention program will also benefit from the money raised, Pamoukova explained.

The Rebels made 264 three-point shots last season, adding to the hope Bennett’s family and friends have that the effort will be successful.

“We just wanted to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” Pamoukova said.

Bennett’s relatives attended the festivities, clasping hands with friends and hugging each other as the night went on.

“We couldn’t be more touched and more moved with the response,” said Jan Bennett, Lindsay’s mother, as she greeted several familiar students who were friends with her daughter.

She went on to say that she hopes to see the effort grow over the next few years.

“We look forward to this grassroots efforts by students,” she said.

Lindsay Roach, a sophomore and member of the women’s soccer team, said she was glad to attend the celebration of Bennett’s life, even though she did not personally know Bennett.

“We decided to come as a team to support the event,” she said, sporting one of the LB3 shirts and asking members of the UNLV community to donate to the effort.

Jon Goldman, CSUN campus life director, helped host the event and said that he knew Bennett’s death had a lasting impact on those around her.

“It’s kind of hard to not know somebody when 100 people you do know talk about her nonstop,” he said.

Goldman said that CSUN, which provided some funding for the event, is committed to supporting the effort, as is he.

“I like the turnout,” he said, looking out at the packed space. “It’s groundwork right now. Hopefully, it’ll build up.”

Jennifer Lutjens, a freshman and member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at UNLV, said she attended the event to support someone she views as a peer.

“She’s an athlete, I’m an athlete,” Lutjens said of Bennett.

Jan Bennett said she is thankful to the UNLV community, and especially to the Rebel Girls, for their strength and recognition of her daughter.

“They did everything for us,” she said with tears in her eyes as she spoke of her daughter’s teammates. “They held our hand for thirty days.”

The dancers selected songs including Taylor Swift’s “Breathe” to dance to, knowing that Swift was one of Bennett’s favorite musicians.

Pamoukova said the effort to memorialize her fellow Rebel Girl is rooted in remembering the good times and moving forward.

“We are trying to celebrate her life,” she said, “as opposed to mourning her death.”