Students win Target goodies

As April Rives stood inside the SuperTarget located in Waterford Lakes, people around her chanted in her support.

"Let's go April," shouted UCF cheerleaders, Rives' friends and other supporters.

The computer animation major was the lucky student chosen to participate in the Target Mad Dash as part of Target's Back to College event for UCF freshmen.

The event, which ran from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 21, gave freshmen students a chance to do some late-night, last-minute shopping for their first semester of college.

During the Mad Dash, which was the first part of the event attended by more than 5,000 students, Rives had 12 minutes to locate specific items throughout the store.

Rives' friends raced behind her and helped locate everything on the list from the laundry detergent to a printer.

After completing the Dash, Target gave her prizes, including a flat-screen TV, a desk and a mini fridge with a dry erase board attached to it.

"As much as I needed the practical things, like a desk, I'm really hyped about the TV," Rives said.

After Rives finished the Dash, bus after bus pulled up to the SuperTarget pouring out about 50 students or more per bus.

Freshman upon freshman filed into the store with the hopes of finding the rest of their supplies.

Education major Andrew McDonald was on the lookout for some new pillows.

"I am quite excited to be here," the freshman said. "I didn't think that anyone would run something like this for us."

In the middle of the store, near the kid's clothing department, a DJ played dance hits including Soulja Boy Tell'em's "Crank That" and Cupid's "Cupid Shuffle."

The crowd around the DJ grew as Knightro, UCF's mascot, and Bullseye, Target's mascot, danced in the aisle with the students.

"I've never seen anything like this happen before," said freshman aerospace engineering major Yesenia Arroyo, who was taking a break from the dance floor. "It's awesome that I'm here with all the UCF people buying stuff, it's late at night, I mean, it's crazy. I love it."

Outside of the store, a portion of the parking lot was blocked off for outdoor games, like bean bag toss, a DJ booth and free food and sodas.

Tara Schlosser, Target's senior specialist in events marketing and publicity, was present to make sure things ran smoothly.

Schlosser said that the only other school chosen to participate in the Back to College event is the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus located in Minneapolis.

Target's headquarters is also located in Minneapolis.

As the night drew to a close, students strolled out of the SuperTarget with goodie bags filled with food items, toiletries and kitchen supplies in addition to their own purchases.

Arroyo said she hopes to see this happen each following year because she will definitely come back if it happens again.