Each year, organizations from across campus come together to take part in Shack-A-Thon to simulate the experience of living in poverty and raising funds for those less fortunate.

Fittingly called “Shack-a-thon,” the event encouraged organizations to sign up and build a shack and stay there in the hopes of gaining a glimpse at what life for others is like.

“Each organization builds a shack to symbolize poverty in a foreign country,” senior wildlife biology major Ryan Green said.

But the event sought to do more than just educate students about poverty through this experience, it also encouraged donations that went toward helping others who may live this situation daily.

“What we do is we are trying to raise money for a country in Africa to buy them goats so they can help support and live off of the goats,” Green said.

Through the experience of staying in the shack and the encouragement to donate monetary resources, Shack a Thon hoped to broaden the views of students and help them see the world outside of WTAMU.

“I hope that students come together and see that there is more than and see that there is more than themselves in this world,” freshman animal science major Noah Brown.

Shack-A-Thon sought to foster a sense of gratitude and generosity that make events like it so important for the campus.

“When students realize the good that comes to the people they are supporting, the importance of events like this is very clear,” Brown said.

All campus organizations were invited to participate and build a shack. The many groups coming together unified students for the same goal and illustrate the best of WTAMU.

“The cohesion here and that we care not only about ourselves and our academia but were actually caring for others outside of our school and outside of our circle,” Green said.

While the event sought to have an impact on the students on campus, it also had a global outlook, and the impact it has had is great.

“$239,000 has been brought in from Shack-A-Thon,” since it began said Buffs for Christ Director Kent Mereness while explaining Shack-A-Thon at the Wesley Foundation.  

Organizations are welcome were welcome to sign up for the event up to the day of and at the event itself. A Shack a Thon table was available in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center during lunch for students to sign up and donate. Shack a Thon was held April 25 at the Old Main east lawn. To find out how you might be involved at next year’s Shak-A-Thon, visit https://campusforchrist.net/directory/1934/buffs-for-christ/