Taylor Swift fans raise more than $130,000 for Healthier Women campaign

No doubt Taylor Swift is a cultural and commercial juggernaut. But also on display for her Indianapolis concerts was Swifties’ generosity, support for women’s health, and insatiable appetite for tickets.

IU Health Foundation held a sweepstakes in which fans who donated $100 to support women’s health programs were entered to win a pair tickets in a Lucas Oil Stadium suite to one of the sold-out shows. The sweepstakes received 1,371 qualified entries from 609 people, raising $65,315. All gifts were matched by a generous donor, bringing the total contributed to women’s health initiatives to $130,030.

Meet the winners

Leigh A.

Leigh A., a resident of Fairland, IN, first became a Swift fan after the release of her album 1989. She’ll attend the concert with her high school best friend. She also won something even bigger: her baby daughter was born on the same day she found out she scored the concert tickets.

Leigh has multiple connections to IU Health, with a husband who works for the health system as a rehabilitation physician and a sister who works at IU Health West Hospital as a respiratory therapist. She’s proud of the fact that her donation will support the Healthier Women campaign.

“Women’s health is not something I take for granted,” she said. “It’s something that can be difficult to access for a lot of women. Knowing I was supporting a good cause with the chance to see Taylor, I just had to do it.”

Andrea G.

“I’m so excited I can’t believe it,” Andrea G. exclaimed when she found out she won tickets to the concert, which she’ll attend with her husband. The Indy native was born at IU Health University Hospital, and she’s passionate about the ripple effect she hopes her donation will have on women’s health across Indiana.

“I hope this influences women to take preventive measures with their health,” she said. “Those conversations can build upon each other and spread across families and communities across the state.”

Blakelee K.

When Mooresville resident Blakelee K. was delivering her son, the clinicians asked her what music she would like played. There was only one option, in her mind: Taylor Swift. The song “Enchanted” was playing while Mooresville resident, Blakelee, gave birth to her son. “I always associate that song with him,” she said, “because it was such a perfect moment.” She’s taking her sister-in-law to the concert.

Blakelee is encouraged by the Healthier Women campaign. “We’re making women’s health a priority,” she said, “and something that’s more at the forefront of people’s minds than it used to be.”

Daniel S.

Daniel S. entered the sweepstakes on behalf of his wife who works in genetic counseling at IU Health Simon Cancer Center. “Obviously, with my wife being a genetic counselor who focuses on cancers like breast cancer, this campaign is a big deal,” Daniel said. “We have two young daughters, and we want to make sure they grow up healthy with all the opportunities they should have.”

While the Taylor Swift sweepstakes is now closed, you can still double your impact with a gift to the Healthier Women campaign today—gifts up to $150,000 will continue to be matched through the end of the year. Indiana has the 10th highest maternal mortality rate in the country and ranks 36th overall in women’s health outcomes. Donations to the campaign aim to change those statistics by focusing on key areas including oncology, maternal and infant health, bereavement and access to primary care services.