Students gather outside the RPAC Sept. 26 for BuckeyeThon FEST! The event was meant to raise money for BuckeyeThon. Credit: Hannah Chenetski / Lantern photographer
Representatives from BuckeyeThon said the block party FEST! not only brought in more people than in previous years, but it was also done without spending a dime of their own funds.
“Through sponsorship and in-kind donations, BuckeyeThon incurred no cost for the event,” said Zach Horner, a fourth-year in marketing and the director of public relations for BuckeyeThon, in an email.
FEST! was a block party held by BuckeyeThon Sept. 26, during childhood cancer awareness month, at the RPAC plaza.
BuckeyeThon is the largest Ohio State student-run philanthropy organization, and holds events throughout the year to raise money and promote awareness for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, specifically the hematology and oncology department. Nationwide uses the money for a variety of purposes in the department to benefit the children treated there, in ways such as purchasing new chemotherapy chairs or toys.
Representatives from BuckeyeThon did not know the exact number of attendees, but Horner said he thought the event had a good turnout in comparison to previous years.
“Being at the event the whole time, I can safely say there were at least 600 people throughout the night, which is an increase from last year’s attendance,” he said in the email.
More than 20 student organizations, coming from residence halls, Greek Life and honors groups, joined in by hosting carnival style booths like dunk tanks, football tosses and cakewalks. Horner said each organization paid for its individual booth.
These organizations are set to participate in BuckeyeThon’s dance marathon in February, an annual event that has in the past registered more than 3,000 dancers and raised more than $600,000 last year for Nationwide. The money the groups made at their booths through ticket sales will go toward their dancers’ funds.
The event also had music, food and performances by Stylez Dance Group, Brutus and the OSU Dance Team and OSU acappella groups Beauty and the Beats, Dynamic Contrast and Ohio State of Mind.
Shannon Melampy, a fourth-year in strategic communication, events chair for BuckeyeThon and the event lead of FEST!, said FEST was largely paid for by donations from local organizations, such as Moe’s, which provided chips and salsa.
A BuckeyeThon representative did not provide the exact amount raised at the event, though these funds will all go toward the total amount raised as part of the dance marathon, to be announced at the event Feb. 14 and 15.
