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BobcaThon—91̽��’s student-run organization that raises money for the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio (RMH)—kicks off its Ronald McDonald House Charities Awareness Week today with a series of events connecting students and faculty with Athens community members who have benefitted from RMH.  

Since its founding in 2014, BobcaThon has raised more than $133,000 for RMH, an organization that provides families of children with serious illnesses with a place to stay and other assistance while they receive care in Columbus hospitals. Every $100 raised provides one night of stay for a family, and BobcaThon has committed to raising $100,000 during the 2017-2018 academic year.

“The students involved in BobcaThon spend so much time talking about the dance marathon and our other fundraisers, and it seemed necessary to focus on the work actually being done at the house,” said senior Jack Cummings, BobcaThon’s director of Ronald McDonald House Charities activities. “We hope this week will drive home the message that we should stay conscious of what we are supporting in the end.”

As part of the awareness week, BobcaThon will be collecting donations at Konneker Alumni Center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday to answer RMH’s call for commonly-needed items:

• 55-gallon trash bags
• Tall kitchen trash bags
• Disinfecting spray
• Foil
• Disinfecting wipes
• Small boxes of cereal
• Ziploc bags
• Hand soap
• Scrubbing Bubbles for bathtubs

“Basics like these all go so quickly when you’re trying to run the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world,” Cummings said, noting that these common items can sometimes provide the greatest comfort to families who stay at the house. “So many parents say they never thought they would need a service like RMH, but now they can’t imagine how their families’ lives would have been without of the assistance the house provides.”

BobcaThon dancers can place their donations in the boxes that correspond to their color team, and the team with the most donations at the end of the week will earn 100 points for the color war competition.

The events for the rest of the week are as follows:

Monday:
For Social Media Monday, students are encouraged to participate in a Ronald McDonald House trivia competition on BobcaThon’s Twitter account for a chance to win one of three long-sleeved Ronald McDonald House shirts.

Wednesday:
Before cheering on the Bobcats as they take on the University of Toledo, stop by BobcaThon’s table at Tailgreat Park an hour and a half before kickoff. Attendees will have the chance to meet BobcaThon’s ambassador families and staff from the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio.

Thursday:
Visit BobcaThon’s table outside the fourth floor of Baker University Center from 2-4 p.m. to learn more about the Ronald McDonald House and register as a dancer for this year’s dance marathon.

BobcaThon’s 12-hour dance marathon—the celebratory conclusion to the organization’s yearlong fundraising efforts— will take place on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. To learn more about BobcaThon, visit , or visit to make a donation or register as a dancer.