By Eliot Schiaparelli

This year’s Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM) Auction, benefitting The Andrew McDonough Be Positive (B+) Foundation, brought the FDM team to 61 percent of its fundraising goal by raising over $9,000 in one night. The foundation benefits kids with pediatric cancer and their families. Last year, the student-lead organization raised $101,643.44.

The auction held in McGinley ballroom had both a raffle portion and a live auction.

The raffle had dozens of prizes up for grabs, such as dinners with university administrators, AirPods, and even a mystery basket. The live auction had bigger prizes like Hamilton tickets that went for $700 and the first housing time slot went for $1500.

While FDM is not announcing its fundraising goal for this year, Jaqueline Onody, GSB ’20, said the live auction portion of the night had raised almost $6,000 and she hoped the raffle would do the same once all the ticket sales had been added up. Onody won the first housing slot for the second year in a row.

She said it took a lot of teamwork to make the auction come together.

“It wasn’t just me,” she said. “It’s a lot of making sure you’re getting responses and handling the rush of donations right before the auction.”

Planning for the auction starts in the summer according to Leena Rachid, FCRH ’20, co-chair of the auction planning committee. She says she and other members of the committee solicit donations from various individuals, businesses and Fordham organizations.

“I’m on FDM because it’s so great to be part of an organization where individuals care so much about others,” she said. “It puts everything in perspective. We also get to meet one on one with the kids the money is going to so it’s an amazing experience.”

Each residence hall Residence Hall Association (RHA) board donated a basket to the raffle. Rachid said her favorite item in the raffle was a basket of vinyl records donated by the Queens Court RHA. As for the live auction, Rachid said she was most excited for the set of three Governors Ball tickets.

Theresa Amoruso, FCRH ’20, was co-chair of the auction planning committee along with Rachid. She said she has been on the committee in years past and wanted to continue working on it.

“I really enjoyed reaching out to all the different companies and getting donations and then once I saw it all come together, it was really rewarding,” she said.

Vicky Tezapsidis, FCRH ’19, the FDM entertainment committee’s morale chair called out names during the raffle and cracked jokes. She also facilitated the auction and encouraged students and faculty in attendance to bid more “for the kids.”

The night concluded with a few words from a representative of the B+ foundation who thanked those in attendance and said the night’s revenue would allow them to write 12 extra checks to families dealing with pediatric cancer.