USU class organizes jump-a-thon for charity
The first Sub for Santa jump-a-thon took place Saturday afternoon, with about 15 people jump-roping to benefit the annual charity drive, as well as to possibly win an iPod.
The event, which was held at the Logan Recreation Center, was planned and carried out by a group of students from a USU MHR 3110 class. They took on the job to fulfill a class requirement, but also to benefit needy local families, said Dawson Hale, a senior majoring in business information systems, who helped organize the event. A large portion of the students’ grade in the class depended on their carrying out a group project for charity, and they decided to host a jump-a-thon after one group member mentioned hearing about similar events in different parts of the country, Hale said.
A $5 entry fee was charged at the door, but participants could solicit pledges from people, asking them to donate a certain amount of money for every hour or minute they jumped. All proceeds from the event benefited the Sub for Santa program, which is a charity that gives assistance to local families in need around Christmas time, Hale said.
The organizing students, who called themselves Team Ned Flanders, advertised the event with fliers, posters and radio advertisements, Hale said. He even put ads on overhead projectors in classrooms on campus and turned them on for classes to see as they entered.
“All donations go to help local families,” said Leah Taylor, director of the Val R. Christensen Service Center, which helped the group set up the jump-a-thon. “Everyone deserves to have a special holiday, but not everyone can afford it.”
Taylor said there are many more events taking place to benefit Sub for Santa and students have plenty of chances to be involved. The annual Stuff-a-Bus program has begun and buses were present Saturday to be filled with donations. Stuff-a-Bus is a program in which people can donate clothing, toys or money on buses, with the donations then going to needy families.
“If people are looking for service opportunities during the holidays, we’ve got tons,” Taylor said.
The event ran from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with prizes being given out at the end. The person who jumped longest would receive an iPod, which had been donated by a local business, Hale said. Organizers would also give participants gift certificates to restaurants that had been donated.
It was a bit difficult to get businesses to sponsor the event, because few people had heard of it. That would be different, and the event would be more successful if it were a yearly event, Hale said. Because Hale and his classmates will be graduating, whether or not future jump-a-thons will occur is uncertain.
“Hopefully it will become a tradition, but it depends on the people who come after us,” Hale said.
dfelix@cc.usu.edu