Students auctioned off for charity (Photo by Austin Kilgore, The Daily Campus)
Mustang Marathon presented its date auction fund-raiser this Tuesday evening in the Hughes Trigg Varsity. Eleven students, most from Greek organizations, offered themselves as prizes to the highest bidder, all in the name of fun and fund-raising.
After a late start, the auction began with Mercy Morales, a junior psychology major who promised the lucky winner that she would “wax his car” for their date. The small crowd responded enthusiastically, and Morales was eventually “bought” for $50.
Other contestants included Kenneth Morris, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, who wrote his own introduction speech. Morris described himself as an “avid scuba diver” and promised any lady who won him a romantic evening on the town.
Later, two members of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority went on the auction block as a “two-for-one” special, receiving the highest bid of the evening at $105 for a date.
After a period of slow bidding, the catering chair of Mustang Marathon stepped onstage and offered “a moderately sized meal at the Red Lobster and an awkward hug at the end of the night” to his highest bidder. Jackie Fisher, a first-year CCPA major, got the crowd excited and was the first individual to reach a $100 bid.
As the date auction progressed, the bidding became more intense. Many male students bid on their male friends. After bidding $20 on his fraternity brother, one bidder quipped, “Hey, we’ll go out for a beer.”
Daniel Webb, an resident assistant in the Fine Arts Community and a Meadows vocal major, serenaded his leading bidder, first-year Jennifer St. Angelo, and she immediately raised her bid. St. Angelo eventually won, bidding $100 at the last second to beat out the competition.
The date auction benefited Mustang Marathon, SMU’s largest student-run philanthropy event. The 24-hour dance marathon, held at the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, helps raise money to benefit infants and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Fifty percent of the Marathon’s proceeds will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and 50 percent will benefit Bryan’s House, Dallas’ only special care facility for children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.
“Most of the money goes to the actual cost of the event,” said Abigail Hoak, a first-year political science major who serves as the Marathon’s fundraising chair. “Everything else goes to Bryan’s House and the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation.”
The Marathon’s fund-raising committee has already hosted “Pie-Your-Professor” and “Jail ‘N’ Bail,” two fund-raising events that were a part of this year’s Boulevard tailgating activities.
According to the organization’s Web site, “Mustang Marathon is the best way for the SMU community to get involved and make a difference in the lives of the children that we dance for.” By bidding on dates ranging from first-years to juniors, “nights on the town” to the Tate Lecture Series, students helped ensure the Marathon’s continued success as both a philanthropic and social event.
