‘For the Kids’ raises more than $1,000 for Children’s Hospital
“For the Kids,” formerly known as “Dance Marathon,” hosted a silent auction at this year’s homecoming Oct. 15, raising $507 for Greenville Children’s Hospital. The Erskine student organization also won the first place prize of $500 for their float in the homecoming parade, and donated their prize proceeds, raising their homecoming total to $1,007.
Ashley Hough, who serves with Halley Ham as co-executive director of For the Kids (FTK), spoke enthusiastically about the fund-raising results.
“Homecoming Saturday went so much better than we could have ever thought or expected,” she said. “In one day, our team of student volunteers helped raise over $1,000 for Greenville Children’s Hospital. For us, that’s a big win.”
Previous fund-raising efforts had been geared toward the Erskine student body, but this year, alumni and members of the Due West community responded well to the Silent Auction appeal.
“Even though we have some generous students, FTK was not bringing in as much money as it potentially could. This year Halley and I wanted to branch out and try to do things a little differently.”
She explained the organization’s title change.
“As a team and an Erskine student organization, we saw how misleading the name ‘Dance Marathon’ was for the student body and knew a different name like ‘For the Kids’ may prove to be easier to communicate about,” she said.
“‘Dance Marathon’ as a name really represented only one aspect of our organization—the final dance marathon we hold to celebrate the money we raise for the Greenville Children’s Hospital and the families cared for by the hospital.”
Leaders of For the Kids, in addition to Hough and Halley, are Sarah Curfman, business chair; Chance Fortenberry, morale chair; Hope Walker, event planning chair; Sara Beth Johnson, advertising chair; Kyle Douglas, dance relations chair; and Delaney Smith and Jessica Segars, family relations co-chairs.
