By J1 Reporter Ellie Brabec 

Thirty seconds, that is how long it takes to hit the post button or the repost button and those 30 seconds have changed the trajectory of Marian’s Walk-a-Thon (WAT). WAT has been one of Marian’s most loved and honored traditions, and if you ask any current student or alumna, WAT is fueled by competition.

In the beginning years,  girls would have to go out of their way to raise money for tuition assistance. From going door to door to mailing letters asking for donations this all was the “norm” for Marian students. Even though some students still go door-to-door, social media has advanced the way that Crusaders have raised money and helped fuel the competition. 

 In 30 seconds, you can post links to online donations, advertisements for kickbacks, lemonade stands, someone’s newest entrepreneurship gig, or Instagram dming some of the most notable people in today’s society. The amount of money made in the years that social media was in the picture has jumped significantly. Mrs. Shari Andersen Reynolds ‘83, Director of Tuition Assistance, has just reached her fifteenth year of counting money for Walk-a-Thon and she has seen firsthand the impact that social media has had on the fundraising event. 

“In my first year in counting money, we would reach our goal of $80,000 just in cash and checks,” Reynolds said. It is different now with the usage of social media posts for online donations and flyers about the countless opportunities to raise money. “We have not only raised the goal to a larger amount, but have surpassed the goal by thousands of dollars,” Reynolds said. This ultimately grants aspiring Marian girls the opportunity to come and be a part of the sisterhood.

From Instagram to Snapchat, social media has been a leading cause in fueling the competition embedded in the four walls of Marian. Students are nonetheless creative when it comes to raising money for WAT, and thanks to the help of social media girls, get the word out fast to raise money. From the clicks of a couple buttons, you are able to get hundreds of people to come to a lemonade stand. This makes the profit potential exceed the expectations with just the average neighborhood residents who may or may not even drive by the stand. 

Even though Marian’s Walk-a-Thon may look different in the end than it has in the past because of the change in class competition and its ties to Field Day, the core of it has stayed the same, to help any and all attend Marian. With social media and online donations, the number of girls who are able to be a part of this special place has risen. All it takes now is 30 seconds to raise money and change the life of someone who has dreamed about becoming a Crusader and being a part of Walk-a-Thon herself.

Image of Senior Stubo members revealing our total schools goal taken by Cassie Bauer ‘24