After two years of fundraising for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, the RebelTHON 2015 benefit will switch hospitals and donate its funds to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson.
“We felt that since we had done such a great job at Le Bonheur, we wanted to spread that charitable giving to other hospitals,” said Derek Francis, senior marketing major and entertainment director. “We thought it was a great way to further include more hospitals like Blair E. Batson who have really great programs for children.”
RebelTHON is a project of Dance Marathon, a movement that dedicates its projects to funding Children’s Miracle Network hospitals around the country.
According to Rob Barber, senior public policy leadership major and social media director, the Network wants campus to support a hospital that they are really connected with.
“With Blair E. Batson being a part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, it’s definitely something that Ole Miss is more directly attached to, even if Le Bonheur is geographically closer,” Barber said. “I feel like the campus and the state is more bonded with Blair E. Batson since that’s the only children’s hospital in Mississippi. It makes sense for a Mississippi school to be supporting a Mississippi hospital.”
Barber also said he has enjoyed watching RebelTHON grow, especially since he helped found the organization two years ago.
“Every year, we’ve raised more money and had a higher attendance rate than the year before,” Barber said. “I think that really speaks for the event itself, how people get really excited about it and really emotionally invested. I would expect this year to continue with the trends we’ve seen, and we’ll have more people than ever before and raise even more money.”
The fundraising goal for 2015 is around $50,000. RebelTHON raised $31,459.21 last year. Francis said they are trying to spread awareness of the event to all students around campus.
“We are hoping to expect a few hundred people out there,” Francis explained. “(We) want to tap in to that group of students on campus who are unaware of charity events like this that are happening around the Oxford community.”
RebelTHON is April 11 at the Jackson Avenue Center.
