Auburn Best Buddies is hosting Midnight Madness to raise money for the organization, this Saturday.
The event is an all-day scavenger hunt around the Auburn campus and city.
Teams of six to 10 will work together in the hunt to complete a variety of tasks to earn points. An example of a task is to suspend a team member on a wall using only Duct Tape.
Executive director Katie Hoch said she hopes all students will participate in Midnight Madness.
“I think everyone should participate in Midnight Madness because not only is it going to be a lot of fun, but also it’s all for a great cause,” Hoch said.
This year is the first time Auburn has been selected to host Midnight Madness.
“For our first year, we want to show other universities across the United States how Auburn can come together and support a great cause,” Hoch said.
Hoch said sororities and fraternities will receive spirit points for participating in the event.
“I really encourage sororities and fraternities to get involved because this is one of the last chances to earn spirit points,” she said. “And you can do this all while helping raise money for people with intellectual disabilities.”
The event will also include a free after party at the Highlands featuring The Mason Dixon Band.
“Even those who can’t participate in the scavenger hunt can still support the Best Buddies organization by going to the after party at the Highlands Saturday night where all the cover will be donated to the organization,” said Executive Board member Erin Weissman.
Hoch said some the events in the scavenger hunt will be crazy.
“I participated in the University of Florida’s Midnight Madness, and it was so much fun,” she said. “Teams get really into it and will be willing to do almost anything on the list. I guarantee you that when people read the list, they will not want to stop the hunt.”
Teams finishing with the most points will receive prizes.
One of the top prizes is a three-night stay in a one-bedroom cabin in the North Carolina Mountains.
The trip is valued at $400.
Other top prizes include four tickets to a Braves game, a football signed by Tommy Tuberville and Maui Jim Sunglasses valued at $370.
Other prizes include a golf club valued at $150, CDs, DVDs, gift certificates, movie tickets and more.
Best Buddies is hoping to raise $10,000 from the event.
Anyone can make a donation through the event’s Web site, www.themidnightmadness.com.
“So far, Auburn has raised $9,716, and we are excited to see the final total after all of our fundraising,” Hoch said.
Megan Young, a sophomore in human development and family studies, has been a Best Buddies volunteer for six years.
“At Auburn, we are a family, so we are trying to get as many people as possible to join in with this fundraiser,” Young said. “If we can all get together, not only will we have a great time, but more Best Buddies chapters can be made.”
Lacey Faciane, a sophomore in early childhood and collaborative special education, has been a Best Buddies volunteer this year.
“Having been involved in Best Buddies for the past year, I can’t even explain how excited I am to even have the opportunity to have Midnight Madness at Auburn,” she said. “Midnight Madness is giving us the opportunity to show how beneficial it would be for the Alabama Best Buddies chapters to have a state office.”
She said a state office would benefit the buddies.
“In the past, we have worked hard to raise money in order to host events where buddies can come together and congregate,” Faciane said. “The buddies look forward to each event we have, and with a state office, we can host bigger and more frequent events that will enhance the lives of the buddies.”
Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships, according to the program’s Web site.
The organization pairs students with a buddy and gives them opportunities to spend time together and build relationships.
Young said she has learned a lot from her experiences with the program.
“Best Buddies is not only beneficial for the disabled population,” she said. “My buddy and I go out to dinner almost every week. She calls me to check in over breaks, and we love each other’s company.
