What’s going on? State-A-Thon. State-A-Thon ran 13 hours in honor of the 13th year of the event. The volunteers raised money for the Children’s Miracle Network, and the children’s hospital. Ashley McConnell, senior dietetics major, has been on the executive board before but this is her first year being the overall coordinator. McConnell said of the event, “When participant’s sign up they are encouraged to raise $100; they aren’t required to though. All of the participants together raise about a third of the money we donate every year.” 

Compared to last year, this year had a much different check-in process, according to McConnell. Right when the participants check in at 10 a.m. they go and meet with their Morale leaders, which this year they could also sign up in advance for. For next year, McConnell would like the moral leaders to do heavier recruiting for their individual teams. Morale leaders are the “captains” of the teams. They just bring in the spirit for their teams, according to McConnell. 

The families that speak during State-A-Thon are families that have been helped by Children’s Miracle Network, according to McConnell. She said, “We reach out to the families that Children’s Miracle Network had given us a list with them on, whoever gets back to me goes and tells the students/volunteers about their stories.”

Kassie Friese, freshman pre pharmacy major, participated in the event this year.  “I loved hearing about the families stories, it makes me realize how grateful I am,” Friese said.

The day started off with an Opening Ceremony. It then led into stories from the families about their time in the hospital, some of the kids came and supported. 

Later in the day was a Drill Team performance, which led into a Zumba dance from an SDSU instructor. After that was Neonatal Intensive Care Unit’s Surgeon’s Band, then dance craze line dances. CHAMPIONS FOREVER had a main performance that was open to the public to come and watch.  A closing ceremony at 10:30 p.m. shut down the day, during that time they revealed that State-A-Thon raised over $66,830.60. 

Other fundraising the State-A-Thon team does throughout the year includes Bowling for Believers, and the pancake feed. “State-A-Thon is a culminating celebration of all the fundraising we do throughout the year,” McConnell said, “I encourage people, if they’re interested, to be a Morale leader or even sign up, a lot of people say that it changes their lives.”