Knight-Thon, the largest student-run philanthropy at UCF, hosted a Date Auction Wednesday to raise funds for Children's Miracle Network. In 2009, they raised more than $52,000, more than doubling the previous year's total, to help fund programs and pay for medical equipment for two Florida hospitals said Mike Kilbride, the Executive Student Director.
Thirty-two people were auctioned off Wednesday night at Tailgaters in front of a crowd of more than 100 students. Each person was nominated by his or her representing organization and they all came with various prizes donated by community donors. Some prizes included gift cards and tickets to local amusement parks, such as Universal Studios and Wet n' Wild.
Most of the bids were straightforward and landed between $30 and $70, but two such bids were taken above and beyond the others.
After about five auctions, Kaity Ostrowsky was called on stage. The 20-year-old hospitality major did not know what to expect. And then the most intense bidding war of the night ensued.
Bid after bid the dollar amount kept rising and the crowd got increasingly excited. After a back and forth exchange between a handful of Sigma Chi members and Ostrowsky's friend Bradley Yeater, a 20-year-old marketing major, the final amount was settled and Ostrowsky was "sold" for $310, a new record. Needless to say, she was stunned.
"I was freaking out the whole time, I thought I was going to pass out," she said.
About a dozen auctions later the Student Government Association President Brian Peterson, was next up for bids. He was fought over in a tug-of-war fashion and eventually was auctioned for $225.
Overall, Knight-Thon raised a total of $2,715 Wednesday night, increasing their total by more than $600 from last year. However, Knight-Thon will not stop at the auction on their quest to raise more than $100,000 in 2010.
They are currently selling $1 donation balloons around campus at Sbarro, Qdoba, and in the Student Involvement Center. Starting Feb. 17th through the 24th if you buy one at Smoothie King your name will be put into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Also on the 24th, if you donate $1 at Smoothie King you will receive a free mango smoothie.
On March 27th, they will host the annual Knight-Thon, an event in which members stand for 13.1 hours straight. This is meant to symbolize the children in the hospital who cannot stand for themselves. In 2009 there were more than 1,000 individuals who participated in the event, including visitors, and they hope for even more this year.
For more information, or to donate, you can contact Mike Kilbride at knight-thon@mail.ucf.edu or visit the Knight-Thon website at http://www.getinvolveducf.com/knight-thon.
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