Wrapping up Toledo: UT students donate blankets to those in need

Old or new, red, green or blue, any blanket will do — at least according to Egor Antipov, the co-chair of Wrap Up Toledo, an annual event at the University of Toledo that collects blankets for the homeless.

This year the event will be on Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m. in the Health Education Building.

“The actual event is about collecting blankets and then delivering them to all of the local homeless shelters….We are trying to help out all those people in need as much as possible and make a positive impact on the community around us,” Antipov said.

Students and student organizations are encouraged to participate in Wrap Up Toledo and make a positive difference according to Ellison Roselle, a fourth-year health administration major and co-chair of Wrap Up Toledo.

“It’s an easy way to get involved,” Roselle said. “Wrap Up Toledo is a simple but effective way to give back.”

Wrap Up Toledo is an interactive event where students and their organizations collect blankets to donate and participate in events to win prizes.

Antipov, a fourth-year chemical engineering major, said the main feature of the event will be a fort-building competition and the student organization with the best blanket fort will win a trophy.

The students will construct blanket forts out of the blankets they’ve donated. According to Antipov there will also be a variety of other challenges to win more blankets for their forts.

“This sort of competition gives students the opportunity to have a friendly competition while also being able to lend a helping hand to a wonderful organization,” said Tyler Somerfelt, a fifth-year bioengineering major and president of Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, in an email interview.

Mortar Board is the student organization that is responsible for Wrap Up Toledo every year.

“The founder of Wrap Up America, Harlan Joelson, is from Toledo and he started this organization back in 1993,” Roselle said.

According to Antipov, in the past 21 years of the event, the most blanket donations they received were 1,900; this year the goal is to raise 2,500.

In addition to donating physical blankets on the day of the event, Roselle said that students can donate money for blankets online.

Roselle said students can win prizes from Jimmy John’s or Papa John’s if they donate to Wrap Up America online.

“If you show proof of three blanket donations online … you can receive a free pizza or a free sub,” Roselle said.

Besides a DJ and free food, Antipov said the event will also feature UT faculty and staff from local shelters speaking about the importance of collecting blankets.

“Recently, we’ve all been witnesses of extremely cold weather during the winter, especially last winter. According to all the weather predictions, this winter is going to be even worse,” Antipov said.

Somerfelt said any extra warmth that can be provided will help.

“The fact that the homeless population of Toledo is located generally close to campus helps the cause hit close to home,” Somerfelt said. “As students, it is nice to have the opportunity to give back to the community surrounding campus and this year will offer a new experience following the event.”

Roselle said this year she plans to work with other students to physically deliver and interact with the homeless people she will be helping.

“It’s a philanthropy that hits close to home for some people; I mean, it’s local…. It’s nice to do things locally and know where it’s going,” Roselle said.

Somerfelt said that 13 new organizations have signed up to participate in Wrap Up Toledo this year for the first time.

“All of the student organizations here on campus, they are the ones who make this event successful; without them I don’t think we could possibly have a successful event,” Antipov said.

Somerfelt said that student organizations have begun working in collaboration with Wrap Up Toledo.

“I think that the donations will have a large impact, especially with a new partnership with the Bridge, a student organization which makes PB&J sandwiches and passes them out to the homeless in downtown Toledo,” Somerfelt said. “This year we plan to travel downtown with them and hand out the blankets and sandwiches at the same time.”

Antipov said it is amazing to see how useful a blanket donation can be.

Roselle said they have already received 900 blanket donations online.

“It’s not hard to find three dollars out of your pocket to donate a blanket, even if you have old blankets at home — it’s so simple,” Roselle said.

To donate blankets online visit wrapupamerica.org and follow @wrapuptoledo on Twitter.