A Look into Ottothon

Sammy Lindell, SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Ottothon is Syracuse University’s largest fundraising event of the year. In a regular year, children in the hospital would be able to dance alongside SU students, however, due to COVID 19, the event is entirely virtual. Additionally, the once twelve-hour-long marathon has been cut to four hours because of the fear that some may be overcome by zoom fatigue. The funds raised from Ottothon support people directly in the Syracuse community: at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Some key leaders that are involved in this philanthropy event are Kylie Nikolaus: an Executive Board member, and Hayden Hilles: an Ottothon Leader.

Nikolaus is a senior who has held multiple leadership positions throughout her time volunteering for Ottothon. She explains how rewarding it is to be able to walk down the street to the hospital and see the impacts the funds from the event have on the children and their families.

Hilles, a sophomore, states that this is not her first time volunteering to raise money for childhood cancer. She has been doing so ever since she was twelve years old when, unfortunately, her childhood best friend passed away.

The event takes place this Sunday, February 28, 2021, and it is still not too late to register to care for children who are in need of support, especially in a COVID setting.