Mavathon raises funds for children in need
This week Minnesota State University, Mankato held its annual campus-wide fundraiser event, the Mavathon. Every year, proceeds from Mavathon are donated directly to local Gillette Children’s Hospitals. This event aims to benefit the families of sick children in Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Members from multiple sororities and fraternities on campus were in attendance this past Saturday in the Centennial Student Union ballroom. The evening featured various games and activities to boost attendee engagement and participation.
Activities were led by moral leaders that kept the crowd motivated and involved along with volunteers that helped in event set up and ensured smooth operation of all activities as the evening progressed.
The most prominent event of the evening was the morale dance that continued throughout the night in frequent intervals followed by fun carnival games and activities such as balloon toss, kerplunk, and Cards For Kidz.
“Mavathon is a super fun way to get involved on campus. You get to dance, play games, and meet new people. It’s a great way to come together and it feels good to know you’re doing something great,” said Elizabeth Sazma, the Vice President of Council Management for MSU’s Gamma Phi Beta.
The goal for the night was to raise $5,000, which was easily surpassed as the night went on.
“As compared to last year, there has already been more money raised this year,” said Morgan Slusher, a junior in Alpha Sigma Alpha.
Donations for Mavathon are collected all year round. Numerous events were held in the CSU throughout the year to encourage donations, and social media platforms were also used to gain more traction about the event.
By the end of the night Mavathon successfully helped raise $5,348 for children in need.
“With COVID we took a hit, so this year we really tried to rebuild and branch out to get more people involved on campus rather than limiting it to only sorority and fraternity life,” added Lauren Wojack, Vice President of Dance Marathon and President of Gamma Phi Beta.
Planning for the event started as early as last year. From the event’s initial conception phase, down to the schedule for the night itself, event organizers rigorously planned the entirety of Mavathon. This form of dedication is really what contributes to the success of Mavathon each year.
“Beginning of the year we brainstormed different fundraising ideas, we attended multiple RSO meetings to get the word out, and worked closely together to make this event a possibility,” said Wojack.
Despite having such a successful night, planning for the yearly Mavathon doesn’t end when the night does, as fundraising starts immediately the following day. Wojack, in her closing ceremony, briefly glossed over the goals and objectives for next year.
“Our goal for the next Mavathon is to expand and get bigger and reach out to more people on campus to let them know the amazing fundraising and the philanthropic work we do here,” she said.
To encourage participation, Wojack added, “It’s really important to be involved in Mavathon because it’s an event centered around helping local children in need. Money from this event goes directly to them, so everyone can participate because it’s for a great cause plus it’s really fun.”
During the event they offered many mini game and activites for students to participate in. Some which included cup pong, dancing, and Cards For Kidz. (Maddie Behrens/The Reporter)
Write to Hafsa Peerzada at Syedhafsa.Peerzada@mnsu.edu