More than 700 UF students are working to raise more than $250,000 for Dance Marathon by Wednesday morning.
Members of Dance Marathon at UF are hoping to get $262,000 for families and children at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital for the annual one-day fundraiser, Transform Today, which began Tuesday morning. Members stood on the Plaza of the Americas and Turlington Plaza as part of the fundraiser.
The event ends at 10:12 a.m. Wednesday, 26.2 hours after the event started at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
“You can’t go anywhere on campus without seeing people passing out flyers or asking for spare change,” said Claire Daniel, the public relations overall director for Dance Marathon at UF.
Last year, Dance Marathon at UF surpassed its one-day fundraising goal of $200,000, raising $224,756.13, Daniel said.
Anthony Temeliescu, 19, said he spent the day asking friends and strangers to donate $1 each.
“It’s the idea that we can have a lot of people donate a small amount to make a big difference,” the UF industrial and systems engineering sophomore said. "Those dollars really add up."
Temeliescu said his goal is to raise $200 from 200 people.
Mackenzie Welsh, 21, said she offered to deliver Chick-fil-A to one of her friends in exchange for a donation.
“She thought I was joking,” the UF public relations senior said, “and I was like, ‘No, I’m dead serious.’”
Welsh said the $8 meal became a $20 donation.
“She got lunch, and I got a donation,” Welsh said. “It was a win-win for everyone, but especially for the children we do this for.”
