For over a decade now, Grand Valley State University has competed with Saginaw Valley State University in the Battle of the Valleys to raise donations for a chosen charity.

The bad news? SVSU has beaten GVSU at fundraising for the past five years straight.

The good news? GVSU is ready to end its losing streak.

Last year, GVSU was stomped by SVSU’s fundraising effort when the latter raised more than $30,000 for Great Lakes Bay Miracle League. GVSU could only scrape together $1,100 for the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan.

The year before that, SVSU raised almost $25,000 for its charity, which doubled GVSU’s effort of a little more than $12,300.

All in all, in the past 10 years that Battle of the Valleys has been taking place, GVSU’s record is 3-7.

The newly established Laker Traditions Team is organizing the fundraising effort this year, which will go on Nov. 11 through Nov. 16. A Battle of the Valleys preview night will take place tomorrow to encourage more support from the GVSU community.

Alicia Arnold, a member of the Laker Traditions Team, is coordinating the event.

“Students should come because they can learn how they can get involved during BOTV week,” Arnold said.

The event will include the first-ever screening of a video showing the history of Battle of the Valleys, as well as presentations by Student Senate President Ricky Benavidez and a representative from the non-profit organization GVSU will donate to.

“(Students) will hear where their money is going to,” Arnold said. “S.P.O.R.T.S. is a GV student-run, non-profit organization donating money and sports equipment to children in the area for kids to pay to play sports in school.”

Also at the preview night, the winning BOTV t-shirt design will be announced and the finalists for GV’s Got Talent will be revealed.

“The event should only last about an hour,” Arnold said. “And there will be some type of food.”

The Battle of the Valleys preview event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center.

For more information on the Battle of the Valleys, visit www.gvsu.edu/battleofthevalleys/.

For more information on the Laker Traditions Team, call 616-331-2345, or email [email protected]