Thirteen men slathered in paint and glitter struck poses and stood as still as possible in miniature pools on the Student Center lawn Oct. 8 as part of UCA’s first “Statues on the Lawn” event.
UCA’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter hosted the event, which raised $370.53. The proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. People dropped donations into the “fountains” around the “statues.”
Juniors Treslyn Fletcher and Brianna Hansen recruited UCA fraternity members to participate. Fletcher said the group wanted a fun and creative way to get college students pumped about Relay for Life. She said their event was successful.
“This was the first time we’ve ever had a Statue on the Lawn fundraiser, and we didn’t quite know what to expect,” Fletcher said. “But we are so thankful we’ve received so much support from our peers and this campus already, and we’re looking forward to many awesome events to come.”
Junior and temporary gold statue Ethan Bly represented the Sigma Kappa sorority in the event.
“I was more than happy to do that for them,” he said. “Knowing that this event was also to raise money for Relay for Life was the real [reason I participated]because I loved having the chance to know I’m helping make a difference.”
Bly said it seemed that students enjoyed the event.
“It was something different and entertaining right in the middle of campus,” Bly said. “It seemed like with the amount of donations we got just from pocket change on students passing by that it went well with the student body.”
Senior Stephanie Daigle, UCA’s Colleges Against Cancer student adviser, said she was happy with the event’s results.
“We are so thankful to the men who volunteered as statues,” Daigle said. “They helped us make a huge donation to the American Cancer Society.”
The money raised will support this year’s Relay for Life event, which will be April 15, 2016.
Last year, UCA was named the 2015 Arkansas College Relay of the Year. Over 400 UCA students on 18 teams raised more than $8,000 for the American Cancer Society last year: the most of all Relay for Life college events in the state. UCA’s participating teams were recognized in a ceremony Sept. 24.
UCA competed with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, ASU Jonesboro and other colleges in the state for the title.
“We were excited to know that we out-raised schools with student populations bigger than ours,” Daigle said.
UCA’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter will host a “Bra Pong” fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Student Center. During the event, students will try to land ping pong balls inside bras. The organization will accept donations.
This article originally appeared in the Oct. 14, 2015 print edition of The Echo.
