King and Queen of Courts voting will do more than just select a male and female to be crowned; it will raise money to donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Voting for a candidate consists of donating loose change or dollar bills into jars labeled with each candidate’s name. The male and female with the most change in his and her jar will be crowned King and Queen of Courts. The collected money will go toward the foundation.

“Change counts for positive points toward the 12 candidates,” Sara Crump, Cardinal Key faculty adviser, said. “Then, if you put dollar bills in people’s jars, that means that they lose points.”

King and Queen of Courts is sponsored by Cardinal Key and supports its philanthropy.

“Fighting diabetes is Cardinal Key’s philanthropy, and no one likes diabetes,” Cardinal Key Treasurer Adam Lackey said. “So, by raising money through King and Queen of Courts, we thought we’d fight against it.”

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a global organization focused on Type 1 Diabetes research. Senior candidate John Babb sees the voting as a fun way to donate to a cause, regardless of the outcome.

“We have some pretty quality candidates, and as long people are voting for their respective people, then I think the money that goes toward that cause is going to be well spent and deserved for those people,” Babb said.

The importance of Cardinal Key’s philanthropy has not just recently become prominent on Baker’s campus.

Professor of English Preston Fambrough said he was elected King of Courts “many, many years ago.”

“I don’t know how I ended up being nominated, much less elected,” Fambrough said.

“I guess someone thought it would be a good joke to have a (professor) for king for once. It was very exciting to be a part of such a worthwhile charity and one of Baker’s nicest traditions, and I look forward to voting for someone more suitable in this year’s contest.”

Crump said any amount of money is helpful.

“In the past, we’ve raised … around 600 or more dollars. … We’re getting a lot of change from people,” Crump said. “That change really seems to add up,” she said.

Voting for King and Queen of Courts began Monday in Harter Union Lobby, and will end Wednesday. The king and queen will be crowned during the ceremony at halftime of the Feb. 18 men’s basketball game against Graceland University in Collins Center.

“The more competitive this race is, the more money we get to donate for the cause,” Babb said. “It should be fun.”