CowboyThon at Oklahoma State University Raises Over $161,000 for Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Foundation

Blog author: Ashleigh Rauner | Vice President of Marketing

CowboyThon at Oklahoma State University culminated its year-long fundraising efforts on Saturday, Feb. 11 with a 12-hour dance marathon event. With over 1,600 students registered as dancers, the event was full of many miracle makers in attendance.

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of Oklahoma State University students, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores and other generous donors, CowboyThon revealed a total raised of $161,204.17 for the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Foundation, an affiliate of The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center.

Over the course of the 12 hours, dancers accepted ridiculous dares for donations on stage, heard Miracle Families share their stories of incredible strength through triumph in the hospital, interacted with 15 Miracle Families in the circus-themed Family Zone and much more.

CowboyThon continued the tradition of the Miracle Child Art Auction, with Miss OSU hosting the segment and bidding canvases painted by Miracle Children to the crowd. The highest bidder took home a canvas for $515, a record-breaking amount for CowboyThon’s Miracle Child Art Auction.

CowboyThon began a new tradition for the program in future years: the hospital bracelet cutting ceremony. Upon registration, each dancer was given an orange bracelet to wear throughout the duration of the day. The bracelets, similar to the patient bracelets that children wear during their hospital stays, represent the connection to the fight for the kids. Before the conclusion of the event and the final total reveal, leadership members traveled around the room with scissors to cut off students’ bracelets as a reminder that even though the marathon had come to and end, the fight still continues.