2024 Discover Big Ten Conference Football Championship and Partners Tackle Community Initiatives in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference today announced several charitable endeavors to create a positive and lasting impact for the Indianapolis community as the city hosts the 2024 Discover Big Ten Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 7, 2024. The numerous charitable partners joining the Big Ten include Abbott, College Football Playoff Foundation, DIRECTV, Hellmann’s, Indiana Sports Corp, Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation, Meijer, Old National Bank, School Specialty and USA Football. Organizations benefiting this week include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Boys & Girls Club of America, Gleaner’s Food Bank, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, Robert Lee Frost School 106, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Special Olympics.

"We appreciate the incredible support the people of Indianapolis provide for the Big Ten Conference, our fans, and student-athletes," said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “The Big Ten Conference and its partners are honored to give back to so many in the community.”

Community initiatives this week include:

"The We Give Blood Drive"
This college football season, Abbott and the Big Ten put fandom and the hearts of Big Ten communities to the test with "The We Give Blood Drive." The competition among all 18 Big Ten schools helped address the nationwide blood shortage, inspiring tens of thousands of blood donations across the country and saving thousands of lives. The Big Ten school with the most blood donations will accept "The We Give Blood Drive" trophy during the Championship Game this Saturday night, as well as $1 million from Abbott to advance student or community health. In addition, fans attending this weekend’s Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper can donate blood at two locations on Friday, December 6, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in room 131 of the Indiana Convention Center (sign up here) and from noon – 4 p.m. just outside the Convention Center on Georgie Street between Capitol Ave. and Illinois Street (sign up here). Anyone who presents to donate will receive a branded winter hat and be entered to win tickets to the championship game.

Elementary School Renovation
With the media center at Robert Lee Frost School 106 in Indianapolis in need of renovation, the Big Ten Conference in collaboration with the Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation, Indiana Sports Corp, School Specialty, and the College Football Playoff Foundation will come together to update and improve the school’s media center, surprising the young students and faculty. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, Robert Lee Frost School 106 Principal Dwayne Lucas, Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty and Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson, will be joined Thursday by dozens of excited students and school staff.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Indiana Sports Corp and the Big Ten Conference, 20 students in grades six and seven, along with their “Bigs” will enjoy a unique behind-the-scenes experience and exposure to different careers in sports at Lucas Oil Stadium this Friday. Students will learn about marketing, public relations, operations, and sales and will have an opportunity to meet with Commissioner Petitti.

Classroom Resource Grants for Teachers
Enjoying the game this Saturday are 15 teachers from across the state of Indiana. In collaboration with the College Football Playoff Foundation, the Big Ten Conference and Indiana Sports Corp, each of the 15 teachers received a grant to support a classroom project and resources at their school. For a total of $40,000, this grant aims to support and celebrate innovative teaching and learning. Teaching kindergarten to seventh grade, the teachers hail from the following communities: Indianapolis, Flora, Carmel, West Lafayette, Burnettsville, Trafalgar, Whiteland, Richland, Lawrence and Lafyette.

Flag Football Clinic for Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Club of America
At Saturday’s Fan Fest, more than 350 young students from the Special Olympics and Boys & Girls Club of America are learning flag football thanks to the Big Ten Conference, USA Football, and Indiana Sports Corp at Saturday’s Big Ten Fan Fest. Students will not only learn flag football, they will also receive four complimentary Fan Fest tickets, a football, and a clinic t-shirt with support from Old National Bank.

Digital Food Drive
The Big Ten Tackles Hunger Fundraising Campaign, from December 4-8, is raising funds to provide equitable access to nutritious food for families facing hunger across Indianapolis. In partnership with Meijer and Hellmann’s, Indiana Sports Corp and Gleaner’s Food Bank have created a donation page to fundraise via a donation competition between the two championship game teams. In addition, those attending this weekend’s Big Ten Fan Fest can donate digitally with volunteers on site.

DIRECTV Supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana
At the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana chapter in downtown Indianapolis, families often spend days, weeks, or months caring for a child in the hospital. On Friday morning, DIRECTV will formally announce it is providing new televisions for every bedroom in the downtown Indianapolis house and will surprise a family with tickets to Fan Fest and Saturday’s football championship game.

Kid Captains from Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent
Two patients from Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent (PMCH), Ian, 12, and Madelyn, 11, have been selected as the Honorary Kid Captains for the Discover 2024 Big Ten Football Championship Game. Chosen by the Children’s Hospital’s care team to serve as honorary captains, each will receive special recognition at Lucas Oil Stadium this Saturday.

Ian and his twin brother were born two months early, each diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. Ian suffered a stroke at 15 months old, limiting the function of his right arm and necessitating lifelong monthly blood transfusions to prevent future strokes. At age three, he had two neurosurgeries to improve blood flow in his brain. At age three, Ian underwent a fragile bone marrow transplant and was ultimately cured of sickle cell anemia. Soon after, it was discovered he had hearing loss in both ears, and he now wears hearing aids. Ian's twin brother was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away this summer after an extensive palliative fight. Ian was by his side through it all. From this experience, he dreams of inventing new solutions to medical and physical challenges that kids face. Ian is representing the University of Oregon.

Madelyn was born with a rare genetic disease called Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease. The day after she was born, she was taken into surgery and placed on peritoneal dialysis. After two-and-a-half months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Madelyn went home with feeding difficulties and a temporary NG tube. Later, she had a G-tube inserted. She has been hospitalized at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent numerous times for life-threatening illnesses. In 2016, Madelyn was hospitalized for more than a month with pneumonia. She was sedated for so long that she lost muscle strength and had to go through physical therapy to gain her strength back to walk. In June 2017, she was ready for a kidney transplant, having one of her kidneys removed and a hemodialysis catheter placed in her chest. In August 2017, she had her other kidney removed. Her uncle, John, donated his kidney to her. She continues to battle health illnesses, but she is extremely strong and determined. She is on a competitive gymnastics team, plays volleyball and is a cheerleader. Madelyn is representing Penn State University.