Carolina For the Kids to raise $25K in 25 hours

Making $25,000 in a year would be impressive for most college kids — but Carolina For The Kids Foundation, the group formerly known as UNC Dance Marathon, will try to raise it in a little more than a day.

Carolina for the Kids is conducting a 25-hour marathon of events at UNC from 8 p.m. today to 9 p.m. Wednesday in hopes of raising $25,000 in 25 hours.

The 25 hours are packed with activity. Beginning at the UNC vs. N.C. State basketball game today, there will be buckets for donations, said publicity chairman Brendan Leonard.

On Wednesday, there will be pictures with Rameses at the Old Well from noon to 3 p.m., a merchandise sale in the pit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a “Pie a Campus Leader” event, in which campus leaders will have pies thrown in their faces for donations, Leonard said.

The money will go to programs that alleviate strain on pediatric patients and their families and to help build a new pediatric clinic.

“It’s going to be really exciting to see the number go up throughout the day,” said Chelsea Krivanek, fundraising projects chairwoman. “Each time we get a donation, we are helping another family.”

This event follows a single-day fundraising trend throughout the country with other Dance Marathon organizations, Leonard said.

The $25,000 goal was set because of the size of UNC’s organization. Carolina For The Kids also wanted to be congruous with $25,000 in 25 hours ending on February 25, Krivanek said.

During the 2013-14 academic year, Dance Marathon raised $551,595.87 through its different fundraisers throughout the year.

There are corporate sponsors as well as local businesses with change jars to help raise money, said executive director Evan Sherwood. Committee members are also going to go door-to-door for donations Wednesday.

“Every single part of our organization is being leveraged on this day. We’ve never done something like this before,” Sherwood said. “It’s cool to watch it all come together.”

The funds from the event will go into Carolina for the Kids’ total for the year.

They will be divvied up among the ‘For the Kids’ fund, which helps families of pediatric patients with expenses not covered by insurance; the ‘Parents Night Out’ fund, which gives families a healthy meal in the hospital on Tuesdays; and a fund that will go toward the foundation’s $2.5 million pledge towards a new pediatric clinic, Sherwood said.

This is the first year the group has committed to paying for a clinic. The organization will donate $2.5 million for the new clinic project during the next five years.

“My favorite thing about this will be seeing the campus come together,” Leonard said. “We’re just college students, but together we do incredible things.”

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