Rachel Prescott has reason to dance for 17 hours.
Prescott is president of Buckeyethon, Ohio State’s 17-hour dance marathon to end childhood cancer that raised $100,823.09 in 2010. Under Prescott’s leadership, the 2011 fundraising is on track to surpass the 2010 record.
“We are already over $100,000 at this point,” said Prescott, a fourth-year in exercise science.
She reeled in, on her own, a $2,500 award from the Amway Positivity Project for her video submission.
Her video had pictures from past Buckeyethons with a voice over of what she’d do with the money if she won.
The Positivity Project “encourages people to move positivity forward,” said Anna Bryce, a spokeswoman for Amway North America. Amway sponsored the Positivity Project and is a direct sales company, like Mary Kay or Avon, that specializes in health and beauty consumer products sold through independent business owners.
Prescott said the $2,500 was put toward Buckeyethon’s operating cost.
“It gave us leeway to make sure donations go right to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and allowed us to vamp up our event” by bringing in two music artists, Andrew Varner and Kelley James, she said.
The biggest donation received for Buckeyethon this year is $5,000, so $2,500 is “right up there with the bigger ones this year,” said Allison Cochran, a fourth-year in communication and Buckeyethon vice president.
Cochran said she “looks up to (Prescott) for reaching out and showing her dedication” because Prescott made a video that wasn’t only local, but nationwide.
“She is really good at executing what she wants to do,” Cochran said.
Prescott has been a part of Buckeyethon since her freshman year when she began as a dancer.
Prescott’s sister introduced her to dance marathons. Her sister attended the University of Georgia and was involved in dance marathons there.
“I remember it was one table I needed to find at the involvement fair (freshman year),” Prescott said.
Sophomore year, Prescott worked among several committees with the organization. Junior year, she was morale captain, and this year her role as president is to oversee and work with all committee directors.
“It’s (the children’s) day to be rock stars,” Prescott said. “Last year we had a little girl ask our family relations director if she was at Disney World.”
Prescott said another girl by the name of Lilly wrote a letter to the organization that said “we were all her best friends.”
Prescott plans to graduate in this spring and has been accepted to the University of Oregon to pursue a Ph.D. in human physiology.
She isn’t planning on hanging up her dancing shoes anytime soon as she has plans to be the graduate adviser for Oregon’s dance marathon.
Buckeyethon 2011 is scheduled for Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. to Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. in the Ohio Union’s Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom. Proceeds go to the hematology/oncology department of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and dancers can register until the start of the event.
“I love dancing definitely, but there has to be a reason for you to stand on your feet and dance for 17 hours,” Prescott said. “You get to see who you dance for and make connections.”
