How $100 Day Turned into 50k

From backflips, to pies in the face, to performing an avant-garde, one-man production of Hamilton in front of Gorgas Library--- these activities all have one thing in common: they raised money FTK.

Yesterday was $100 Dollar Day, meaning, all staff members for  University of Alabama Miracle Network Dance Marathon were encouraged to raise $100 dollars individually, and go all out with whatever creative techniques they wished to use to achieve that goal.  If you were a student at UA, you most likely saw some fellow classmates decked out in tutu’s, face paint, or with a jar in hand. Staff members and Miracle Makers work all their fundraising magic and attempt to contribute to this year’s $100 Day cumulative goal of $30,000.

This annual event occurs in the fall and is part of a bigger fundraising/registration push for the month of September. We chose to “Go GOLD in support of childhood cancer awareness month to help spread awareness for UADM as well as allow an all-inclusive environment for all students to feel a part of UADM’s cause—raising money for Children’s of Alabama to help sick kids celebrate another birthday.

This hope is that one day, Miracle children (patients at Children’s of Alabama) can be where we are as college students, pursuing their dreams and have all the same opportunities as we do.

A giant chalkboard set up on the quad yesterday represented UADM’s mantra in many ways, as it said: “Who do you stand for.” Some students wrote beloved family members, some wrote down friends’ names and some wrote down “FTK.” These three letters tie UADM together, unite and have all the hope in the world behind them.

Even our dear Assistant VP of Student Affairs, Adam Sterritt, joined in the fun and allowed students to tape him to the wall. Sterritt raised money FTK in the Ferguson Center dining area--ultimately using 9 entire rolls of Gorilla duct-tape, sold a dollar a yard to local students.

At the end of the day, after all these performances, tabling endeavors, Moo-Yah percentage night, countless emails sent, canning anywhere and everywhere not to mention full out delirium-- the Miracle Makers, UADM Staff as well as countless of donors nationwide contributed to UADM’s overall $100 Day total of $50, 160.58 FTK! This number is part of a bigger goal, to give back as much as possible to the hospital we hold so near and dear to our hearts. A goal that unites us all and gives UADM the confidence that we can always pursue bigger things if we only just believe.