BuckeyeThon Volunteering

During the Spring of ’19 semester I had the opportunity to volunteer for BuckeyeThon! BuckeyeThon is Ohio States largest student ran philanthropy. The organizations primary goal is to raise money for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Oncology floor. The money raised goes toward a variety of things, including research, psychological services for the kids and so much more. It was such a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community and make a difference in so many kids’ lives. The dance marathon itself lasted 12 hours, however, a lot of outside hours also went into fundraising prior to the marathon. Through BuckeyeThon, I functioned as a dancer and fundraiser. In these roles I worked to raise as much money from friends and family as I could. After fundraising ended I was able to participate in the dance marathon and spend time with some of the BuckeyeThon families. This was the second year I participated in BuckeyeThon. You can learn a lot about yourself by participating in events like this. I personally learned how much of an impact I could make on a kid’s life just by supporting them and showing them I care. A simple task as easy as dancing with them makes them forget their current situation and allows them to just be a kid for a few hours. Volunteer opportunities like this help me grow as a leader and keep me humble. It is so easy to get caught up in your own life and take things for granted, that you forget that there are other people out there who can’t enjoy the little things in life like dancing. Because of service learning I am a more humble leader and person in general.