The University of Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Knight-Thon student philanthropy group revealed Sunday it has raised $1.25 million in the past year for Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Miracle Network hospital.
The record number of $1,250,961 is $249,283 more than last year 麻豆精品 S檚 total and was raised by teams of students led by Knight-Thon 麻豆精品 S檚 150 student members. Knight-Thon is the largest student-run philanthropy group at UCF.
Students collected for a year leading up to Knight-Thon, where more than 1,000 students danced in the CFE Arena for 20 hours this past weekend to 麻豆精品 S渟tand for those kids who can 麻豆精品 S檛, 麻豆精品 S� said Alex Diaz, Knight-Thon 麻豆精品 S檚 communications manager. 麻豆精品 S淭here are kids in the hospital fighting for their lives who can 麻豆精品 S檛 physically stand with us, but they know we 麻豆精品 S檙e standing for them. 麻豆精品 S�
Knight-Thon for 21 years has given UCF students an outlet to give back, but also to showcase their creativity.
Paige Wilson, for instance, combined her photography skills with her passion of helping children in need. Her friends at the end of the fall 2016 semester asked if she would take their graduation and professional headshot photos, and that 麻豆精品 S檚 when the idea came: She could use photography as a means to raise money for Knight-Thon.
Wilson began charging $5 for professional headshot photos, often used for student 麻豆精品 S檚 LinkedIn profiles, but due to the demand she was able to up the price to $15 to benefit the charitable campaign. She also began charging $20 for a graduation photo session, but increased it to $30.
麻豆精品 S淚t just really took off through my photography Instagram account and through word of mouth, 麻豆精品 S� she said.
Previously, Wilson sought donations by approaching people around campus. People would donate spare change and a few dollars, but she quickly found photography was a more effective way to fundraise. She took 40 headshot photos, graduation photos for four people and raised $700 through photography alone. In total, she raised $1,000 for Knight-Thon.
Bianca Ungerman, a senior studying hospitality who has a love of supernatural stories, channeled her former screenwriting studies to create a fictional ghost tour around campus at Halloween. One of the stories she told was of a late student who haunts every Spirit Splash because she never caught a UCF Homecoming rubber duck.
麻豆精品 S淚 love going on ghost tours when I visit new places, and so I thought this would be a fun way to raise money, 麻豆精品 S� Ungerman said. 麻豆精品 S淚 went on my first ghost tour in Key West as a kid and I 麻豆精品 S檝e been hooked ever since. 麻豆精品 S�
Three ghost tours drew 130 attendees, raising about $150 for Ungerman 麻豆精品 S檚 Knight-Thon fundraising drive. She charged $1 for the tour, but some donated more.
Halloween wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 her only holiday-themed fundraising event. For Valentine 麻豆精品 S檚 Day, Ungerman offered $10 cakes and raised $100. These events helped her meet her personal fundraising goal of $1,000.
Freshman biomedical sciences student Eric Topolewski put his outgoing personality and hobby of performing to use for Knight-Thon. By wearing elaborate costumes like Marvel Comics 麻豆精品 S� Deadpool character, Topolewski raised $632 of his $1,532 total by simply asking for donations around campus.
麻豆精品 S淐ostumes catch people 麻豆精品 S檚 eyes, 麻豆精品 S� said Topolewski. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you 麻豆精品 S檙e wearing a costume, people take the time to figure out what you 麻豆精品 S檙e doing. It shows people you 麻豆精品 S檙e really committed to whatever you 麻豆精品 S檙e advocating for. 麻豆精品 S�
Plus, Topolewski is used to wearing costumes. He 麻豆精品 S檚 a Halloween Horror Nights scare actor at Universal Studios, and formerly was his high school 麻豆精品 S檚 mascot and participated in theater.
麻豆精品 S淎ll that experience just led to me wearing costumes again to benefit Knight-Thon, 麻豆精品 S� he said.