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Thursday, February 13, 2020 | The Lantern | 5
BUCKEYETHON FROM 1
does not necessarily translate to the most money raised. BuckeyeThon raised $1.6 million — about $9 million less than Penn State raised in 2019 with its dance marathon and $98,096 under last year’s total. This year’s BuckeyeThon, which took place Friday and Saturday, raised $1,606,087.99 for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, according to previous Lantern reporting. According to their respective websites, in 2019, BuckeyeCOURTESY OF BUCKEYETHON Thon raised $1,704,184.19 comBuckeyeThon raised $98,096.20 less than this past year for pediatric cancer pared with Penn State Univer- research in 2020. sity’s $10,621,683.70 — more than six times Ohio State’s fig“I’m really proud of the stu- really explaining what the cause ure — and Indiana University’s dents that fundraise an entire is and why they’re passionate $4,257,143.23. University of campus, that really got behind about it,” Tucker said. Iowa raised $2,960,403.25 in us to get to that $1.6 million,” he He said other students come up 2019 and $2,879,755.26 this past said. with their own ways to raise monweekend. Penn State’s THON is BuckeyeThon is 24 hours, split ey, including selling artwork or Feb. 21, and Indiana University into two shifts over the course offering services, such as resume Dance Marathon is Nov. 6. of a weekend, according to its reviews, in exchange for dona“We applied the same strategy website. THON’s participants tions. BuckeyeThon will also host as we did last year,” Bill Tuck- dance for 46 hours straight, Dan events such as a barbecue, fashion er, media relations manager for Mele, public relations director for show and Day of Miracles, a oneBuckeyeThon and a fourth-year THON, said in an email. IUDM’s day fundraising push in October, in human resources, said. “But 36-hour event can be split into which is considered the kickoff for some reason, we had a lower 12-hour shifts, and Iowa keeps event for fundraising, Tucker said. number of pardancers on THON’s fundraising methods ticipants. Every their feet for also include peer-to-peer fundyear, our event the 24 hours of raising, along with corporate and has a different its marathon, personal check solicitations, algroup of stuaccording to ternative fundraisers and THON dents that come Even though our their websites. Nation — the university’s nonstuin, and we real- dance marathon B u c k e y e - dent initiative that allows alumni ly don’t know doesn’t raise as Thon raises and friends of THON to support what is going to money main- Penn State’s mission, Mele said. work with them much as other dance ly through “One [method] that was new and what things marathons, we p e e r- t o - p e e r this year was the Dream Forward are really go- consistently engage f u n d r a i s i n g , Campaign back in October,” he ing to hit home which involves said. “This 16 day campaign had a the most students on students ask- goal of raising $500,000. We were with people.” Tucker said our campus relative to ing people in fortunate to raise $701,331.64 that every year, other programs. their networks within this timeframe.” BuckeyeThon to contribute Dream Forward is a revamp of a tries to match BILL TUCKER to the cause, previous THON campaign called its effort with Media relations manager for Tucker said. One Day We Will Dance in Celthe atmosphere BuckeyeThon “We really ebration, according to The Daily on campus, and promote this Collegian. With the same goal of despite it being a lower amount of through a consistent commu- fundraising, Dream Forward was engagement this year, any amount nication with family members, extended from one week to 16 of money that goes toward Na- friends, posting on social media, days, and its final day coincided tionwide Children’s Hospital has communicating through email, with a THON 5k on Oct. 29. an impact. text messages, even phone calls, Indiana’s fundraising methods
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include online, cash and check donations, corporate sponsors, peer to peer and canning, which entails standing outside of public areas and asking passersby for donations, Chloe O’Connor, vice president of membership for IUDM, said. “That one’s always cool, even with the raise-awareness aspect because people will always be like, ‘Oh, what’s IUDM?’ or, ‘Where’s it going to?’ And then you can talk about it,” O’Connor said. Indiana also hosts two bigger fundraising events in a Top Golf outing and gala, O’Connor said. Fundraising is a year-round effort for Big Ten universities, and BuckeyeThon encourages students to register as early as possible to allow plenty of time to reach the $250 minimum required to participate at the dance marathon, Tucker said. Mele said THON’s fundraising is much more than just the weekend during which the dance marathon takes place. Big Ten universities are competitive, and their dance marathons are no exception. “There’s always motivation to raise more than we have in the past,” Tucker said. “That’s something that every program wants to do. In terms of other programs’ actual events, we do have one of
the largest in terms of venue and participants. Even though our dance marathon doesn’t raise as much as other dance marathons, we consistently engage the most students on our campus relative to other programs.” He added that BuckeyeThon — which was established in 2001 by a group of students passionate about philanthropy — prides itself on its engagement with students and spreading its messages across campus rather than to just a few hundred people. Mele said THON also feels a sense of pride for what it has accomplished since its 1973 conception. “We are continuously inspired by the work of other dance marathons and the impact they have on their respective beneficiaries,” he added. IUDM, which was started in 1991 in honor of a Riley Hospital for Children patient, finds motivation in its rivalry and partnership with Purdue University, as both are housed in the same state and raise money for the same hospital, O’Connor said. The patient, Ryan White, believed people should be accepted no matter what, no matter the illness, O’Connor said. IUDM’s mission is to honor White’s belief and save the lives of children like him.
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Big Ten schools raised various amounts of money at dance marathons in the past year.