The United Way, a national system of local charities, will conduct a campaign to promote student involvement this month on campus.
The main event, a silent auction, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 30 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.
Each department will donate a basket or item to the auction, and attendees will write down their bidding amounts. Students also are encouraged to donate by offering their services–examples include sports lessons or Christmas gift wrapping.
Sodexo will cater a hot dog lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the auction.
Lunch tickets may be purchased prior to the event from Room 112 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences for $4, or outside the Great Hall that day for $5.
For $1, attendants of the auction can try on various costume pieces and pose for photos with their friends.
“We’re hoping to get more students involved in the campaign this year,” said Karen Vann, United Way employee campaign coordinator. “Please contact me if you want to donate something to the silent auction or if you have an idea for another event.”
Students can email Vann at kvann@okcu.edu.
As another part of their campaign, the United Way will host a bake sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28 in Walker Center. They also will run tables of baked goods from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the caf both of those days.
The final event of the campaign, Trick-or-Treat for Change, will occur on Halloween. Throughout the day, any professor who wants to participate will dress in costume. While teaching and walking around campus, they will carry a bucket and invite students to drop in their loose change.
“This campaign definitely deserves student participation,” said Laura Jardine, cell /molecular biology freshman. “The United Way has impacted the life of almost everyone in some way or another.”
Originally, the event included a talent show, where the top three competitors performed at the auction. Due to an insufficient number of entries, the talent show was canceled and replaced with a photo booth.
“I am sad that it was canceled,” Vann said. “It would have been fun, but I understand that everyone is busy with prioritization and everything. I also don’t think that students got the information soon enough.”
Through these events, combined with pledge cards from the faculty and staff, the campaign coordinators hope to raise $22,000. Every penny from each sale and donation will go toward the United Way and the charities it supports.
Contributing: Emily Wiley, associate editor
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