Raiderthon | Photo by Christian Peters | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University Miracle Maker’s hosted a Q&A event on Thursday, Feb. 10 to discuss their upcoming fundraiser event, Raiderthon.
What Is Raiderthon?
Raiderthon is a big end-of-the-year celebration at Wright State University. The Miracle Makers fundraise all year round and at the end of the year, they celebrate to thank the WSU community and everyone who has given their support. It is a 12-hour dance marathon, but students do not have to dance the entire time.
Raiderthon is not all about the dancing. They also have performers, 4 Paws dogs showing tricks and magicians. There will also be inflatables, games, raffles and prizes to be won.
“The big thing that really makes Raiderthon a great event are the miracle kids that come out,” President of WSU Miracle Makers, Abigail Adams, said.
Joining the students will be the miracle kids from Dayton Children to share their stories and how meaningful Raiderthon is to them and how the fundraising has impacted their lives.
How have they helped?
Miracle Makers fundraising has raised 360,000 dollars through WSU. Even though Raiderthon has not occurred since 2019 due to Covid, they were able to treat over 380,000 kids each year.
The closest Dayton Children’s is conveniently 15 minutes away from WSU. The funds raised have gained access to mental health resources for the children and also helped develop a center for Health Equity dedicated to addressing social determinants of health.
WSU has also funded a Canine Co-pilot program where dogs come to make sure kids feel safe and cared for inside the hospital. They are trained to reduce the stress and anxiety in the kids who might be nervous about different procedures.
How can you help?
There are multiple ways a student can help the program.
One of the ways is registering as either a team member or an individual to come and volunteer at Raiderthon. Students can join the Morale team and even become an emcee of Raiderthon. They can also volunteer with Miracle Makers and their future events.
“I volunteered with the Miracle Makers my Sophomore year. I didn’t know much about it but I was just happy knowing I was helping out the kids at Dayton Children’s,” WSU student Brittanny Lamb said.
Students can also fundraise for the event.
On the Miracle Makers website, there is a fundraising guide with tips to help participants raise money. There are multiple sponsorships within this program including students and organizations from WSU. Some of these orgs are Student Government Association (SGA), University Activities Board (UAB) and Kappa Delta. Each sponsor receives incentives as a thank you for their support.
The last way to help out is to simply attend the Raiderthon event. Students can come and show their support of WSU Miracle Makers and the kids at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
“I loved Raiderthon, I went my freshman year and it was really exciting and colorful,” WSU student Brianna Green said.
The event is Saturday, April 9, and is welcome to anybody, not just WSU students.
