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By: Ayaan Abbasi
Every year, Indiana University Dance Marathon and Purdue University Dance Marathon participate in the Old Riley Bucket Challenge, a week dedicated to both schools coming together to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children.
In the leadup to the end of the spring semester, Sophie Miller, IUDM’s VP of Finance, describes Old Riley Bucket Week as “the first big fundraising push of the year.”
The week included a dine and donate as well as numerous canning opportunities for IUDM members across Bloomington. Additionally, the week culminated in ORBathon.
ORBathon is an event in which all 18 IUDM committees strive to fundraise as much as they can with this being its second year of existence. It included various different activities and featured a power hour that raised over $34,000 in the course of 60 minutes.
ORBathon allowed all IUDM members to share fundraising advice, connect with each other, and, of course, encourage each other to continue raising money for Riley Hospital for Children.
A highlight of the week included the 50 States Challenge, motivating every fundraiser to get donations from all states across the country. Committees competed to win different states, seeing who could raise the most money for that particular one, with Riley Development winning the challenge receiving donations from all 50 states.
As the Old Riley Bucket challenge came to a conclusion, the total between IU Dance Marathon and Purdue University Dance Marathon was revealed, showing $247,892.88 donated within the one week alone.
“The collaboration between IUDM and PUDM highlights, through healthy and friendly competition, this phenomenon, which is best summarized by ‘One State, One Cause,’” Shane Newton, IUDM’s Director of Fundraising said.