Mylique Sutton
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“What we have is a bunch of clubs and organizations coming together and they’re going to auction themselves off to go on dates, and the goal of this is to raise money for THON,” Abraham said. “Talking with a bunch of people I’ve come to realize that word of mouth is the best way to get the notice out there. From what people have been saying, they’re showing up and they’re bringing all their friends so hopefully it is a successful event.”
The Date Auction is indeed shaping up to be something memorable if not successful as this campus hasn’t seen anything quite like this recently. At least 20 students, of either gender, will be available to be bid on during this event, which is certainly a lot more than Abraham was expecting, but it’s definitely been a pleasant surprise.
“The goal of it was getting at least two people from each organization to show their support for THON. Then once word hit, everyone wanted to sign up for it and be a part of it.”
More people to be bid in theory could mean more money, but the amount of profits raised for THON is hinges on the turnout and Abraham is feeling the pressure to make sure the auction goes off without a hitch.
The idea for the Date Auction itself came to fruition after the Lion Ambassadors attended a conference in Virginia Tech last November where they learned that these kinds of auctions were one of the biggest fundraisers for the school.
Now while the Hazleton Cam- pus is dwarfed by Virginia Tech, there is the common feeling that the community will come together, participate and come through for a good cause. Tonight will very much set the precedent, and if the auction comes up short then an alternative will have to be sought next year.
“If it’s not a huge thing then next year they need to create another event to raise money so I’m really hoping this goes extremely well and people have fun with it too,” said Abraham. “The one word I associate with Penn State is Family, and because we are a family we should all come together for one collective goal and I feel like that’s what we’re going to achieve here.”
The way things work is simple, every person is started off at $5 and if no one bids then the price is lowered until someone finally pulls the trigger. If you do bid, and manage to win the person that caught your eye then they’re all yours to take for a night of romance or shenanigans as soon as the person auctioned off signs a few things.
“The individual who gets auctioned off has to sign a waiver saying they’re okay with getting auctioned off. No liabilities, no being sued, no getting out of it,” Abraham said.
Though it’s not all that serious as it may seem, in the end it’s about having fun, donating to a good cause but most importantly making sure that you’re not alone. So scrape some cash together, head over to the cafeteria at 7 and prepare yourself for a night of intense bidding.