Two Nepalese students at Bemidji State University will raise funds on campus, April 29, to support those affected by this weekend’s earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• Ruhi Sharma (ROO-hee SHAR-muh), a junior in business administration, and Bibek Shakya (bih-BECK SHOCK-ya), a senior in business administration, are coordinating this effort. Shakya is graduating this May and has been in Bemidji for 3.5 years; Sharma has been in Bemidji for about 2.5 years.

• The pair will raise money April 29 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the lower Hobson Memorial Union’s Lakeside Food Court. Funds raised from this on-site donation will support either Oxfam America or the World Food Program USA, which are directly involved in the relief effort.

The students are working to coordinate more possible donation opportunities over the next week as they study for finals and prepare for commencement on May 8.

• In addition to the on-site donation event tomorrow, the students are advocating for contributions to Oxfam America or the World Food program USA in support of the relief effort.

“Even one dollar counts.” — Ruhi Sharma, BSU junior in business administration

• Sharma and Shakya are two of the nine students from Nepal currently attending classes at Bemidji State.

• Sharma and Shakya are both from Kathmandu and are available for media interviews. Please contact Andy Bartlett, BSU associate director of communications and marketing, (218) 755-2041, jbartlett@bemidjistate.edu, to request interviews with the students. The April 29 fundraising event is open to the media; please contact Bartlett if you wish to attend.

Contacts

• Andy Bartlett, associate director of communications & marketing; (218) 755-2041, jbartlett@bemidjistate.edu; @abart01

Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling nearly 5,000 students, Bemidji State offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate programs encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding.

For more, visit us at bemidjistate.edu or find us on social media; we are BemidjiState on most of your favorite networks.

–bsu–