BuckeyeThon survival guide: everything you need to get you through your 12 hour shift

12 hours of no sitting down, are you ready for it?

The hard part is over: you’ve emailed all your friends and family and raised your $250 minimum, but with BuckeyeThon just around the corner, it’s time to start scrambling to get pumped up for a 12 hour shift of dancing, playing with dogs, and participating in tug-of-war. In order to help you not only survive, but thrive, this BuckeyeThon we have put together a comprehensive BuckeyeThon Survival Guide, to help you be the best miracle maker you can be. Here’s what you’ll need:

Comfortable shoes

Part of BuckeyeThon is being on your feet for 12 hours straight. There are no chairs for you to sit in, so no one sits down at all. So having comfortable shoes is a must. You don’t want to be in the middle of the rave and have to find bandaids because your shoes are giving you blisters. Stay away from your converse and stick to whatever shoes you wear to the gym or tennis shoes you wear the most.

Look at those comfy shoes

Fannypack

Like gamedays, you don’t want to have to be holding all of your stuff and worrying about losing it. With a fanny pack you can easily have your phone, wallet, Advil and even a snack super handy. It’s way easier than having to constantly run back to the bag you checked in to grab your phone to take pictures.

Advil

Dancing for 12 hours will definitely take a toll on your feet. A little bit of Advil or Ibuprofen will go a long way in getting you through the night (or day, depending on your shift). You will get sore and the loud music could give you a headache, so have those painkillers ready to go.

Tutus, beads, sweatbands

BuckeyeThon is all about having fun and keeping your spirits up while participating in the dance marathon. Part of the fun of BuckeyeThon is dressing up in crazy, colorful outfits. Students will often opt to wear colorful tutus, multicolored beads, and wristbands/sweatbands in order to add a little extra flair to their outfits.

Energy drinks for the kids

A 12 hour shift may not seem like much, but it takes a toll on your alertness and ability to stay awake. Grab a few red bulls or even a five hour energy for when you start to get tired. Keeping up with everyone around you is going to be tough, so an energy drink will be good to have as help.

Disposable camera

I know what you’re probably thinking — I have my phone and I don’t need a disposable camera, but hear me out. Phones are a multifunctional device and can often times be distracting, so investing in a disposable camera for the night will allow you to take photos and capture the memories you’re making without running the risk of getting side-tracked by your phone.

Head to toe colors of your team

When you sign up for BuckeyeThon you are assigned to a team as well as a color to wear for the marathon. Don’t be that person who only wears a slight variation of your team color. Go all out to show how dedicated you are to the cause and so you don’t look like an idiot.

Do it for the kids.

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