Field Day promotes High Fives for Hope

The Center for Student Involvement hosted their first ever field day. The event promoted not only the Student Involvement office, but also a new not-for-profit group, High Fives for Hope. Students could pay either $15 for a group of five or $5 per person. About 6 to 7 groups participated in the event that consisted of tug of war, long jump, a 3 legged race, 50 yard dash, water balloon toss and an obstacle course. “[Promoting High Fives for Hope] wasn’t originally our purpose but it’s really a great cause. It’s good to help get their name out,” junior, accounting and finance major Jessica Strathman said.

High Fives for Hope, an awareness organization, was initially started by four Pi Kappa Phi alumni hoping to spread the word about different types of cancer, such as colon, testicular and leukemia. “When a lot of people go into a store, they usually see a lot for breast cancer,” 2004 alumnus founder of High Fives for Hope Mark Stiles said. “We want to shed light about other forms of cancer that are just as deadly, or even worse,” Stiles said.

With this idea in mind, Stiles and 2005 alumnus Matthew Foreman went around the university giving out high fives to different people on campus. With 2005 alumni Michael Flannery and James Simcoke, the men established High Fives for Hope, or H54H.  Field Day was their first official event. “We want to spread the word about a demographic that’s never really known. We want it to be an aggressive movement,” Stiles said.

“We didn’t want to favor any fraternity or sorority over the other so we chose to promote High Fives since they are a new organization,” Involvement Ambassador Hali Hebert said. Each station was equipped with a sign that displayed facts about the Student for Involvement Center.  This included information such as their main key values and how to get involved on campus.

Of all the stations set up at the event, the obstacle course was the most popular. “I felt like I was gonna die,” said sophomore, international business and management information systems major Stash Phillips. “It was claustrophobic and fantastic. A must do before you die,” Phillips said. Senior, psychology major Robert D’Augustinias agreed. “[The] obstacle course [was the most] challenging and entertaining to watch.”

Approximately 50 people attended the event, however many were hoping for more. “I was hoping for a bigger turnout,” Hebert said. Sophomore Nik Koulogeorge, playeing for the Student Ambassadors agreed. “I wish more teams were here.”

All the proceeds, a total extending over $100, went to H54H.  Each student who participated received a t-shirt with both High Fives and CSI on it. “High Fives made the shirts. It’ll help promote both their organization and our office,” Hebert said. Students were also offered cups filled with a bottle of bubbles, a pen, a pamphlet for CSI, and bags of candy.

High Fives also hopes to eventually hold more events throughout the year. They are looking into activities such as a 5k over the summer in Orlando and a benefit dinner in the Orlando and Tallahassee areas. If anyone would like to donate money, they can go to Highfivesforhope.com. “Even if it’s just a quarter, please donate. You can give in many different ways. Give your time by spreading awareness,” Stiles said.

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