BuckeyeThon Rally Marks 25 Years Wednesday

BuckeyeThon holds its annual Runway Rally at Nationwide Children's Hospital at 700 Children's Dr. on Wednesday, marking 25 years of fundraising for pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m., Prathisha Krishna, director of events for BuckeyeThon, said.

Aayush Vishwanath, vice president of programming for BuckeyeThon, called Runway Rally the kickoff for newly recruited team members. "Team members come to Runway Rally for a chance to meet all of our Champion Kids and to really learn more about BuckeyeThon's cause," Vishwanath said.

There are 16 Champion Kids this year. Krishna said the event shares their stories to motivate team members to fundraise for Nationwide Children's Hospital. The event will also spotlight BuckeyeThon's total impact on the hospital. Vishwanath said BuckeyeThon has raised over $16 million for Nationwide Children's Hospital in the past 25 years.

BuckeyeThon is introducing a fundraising competition at this year's rally. Krishna said every $5 donation adds a bead to a table's jar, and each jar is weighed or counted for a chance to win an incentive for that table. Attendees will also take part in "Push 15," a 15-minute period where students text friends and family for donations. Vishwanath said last year's version ran for 10 minutes and raised more than $7,000.

Champion Kids also walk a runway in clothing from Abercrombie & Fitch, Vishwanath said. The children shop for outfits that represent their personal style. "Some of them are a little shyer, some of them are more outgoing, and you can really see that through their outfits," Krishna said. "I feel like fashion is a really great storytelling tool, so that is definitely a way that they can show their story on stage."

Krishna said she wants the rally to teach team members how to use Donor Drive, the system where they fundraise. "We teach them how to use that system, as well as, also, teaching them how to fundraise, how to make those asks, how to reach out to their friends and family and be like, 'Hey, can I have $10 for the kids?' or how to make that ask," Krishna said.

Neil Hariths, president of BuckeyeThon, said in an email that newly registered team members will learn about BuckeyeThon, start their fundraising journeys, meet Champion Kids, and see performances at the event. Hariths said he is an Ohio State student and that students can register for a Dance Marathon, join a team, or fundraise for the cause. "I think it's easy to get caught up in the events, fundraising goals, and numbers, but at the heart of everything we do are the kids and families we support," Hariths said.