Circle K Thinks Outside the Box

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UC Irvine’s chapter of Circle K raised $2,800 during this year’s “Sell Yourself, Buy Your Friends” service auction. All proceeds were directed toward Circle K’s district fundraising initiatives.

Students signed up, either alone or in groups, to offer various services that were auctioned off and bid on by fellow students. Students bid on students alone, or pooled their money together with others in a combined effort to buy a service seller.

Services ranged from practical help, like cooking food, being someone’s workout buddy, doing laundry and tutoring, to recreational activities like teaching one how to do a back flip, dance lessons, music lessons, snowboarding at Big Bear (with paid lift ticket), an offer to DJ an event, a trip to Vegas and Disneyland.

The event was held Friday March 2 in Donald Bren Hall and planned by Sarah Martin, one of UCI Circle K’s Fundraising Chairs, along with help from her fundraising committee and associated Circle K members.

“I was really pleased with everyone’s enthusiasm to participate in the event,” said Martin, a fourth- year history major. “We had 49 people up for sale, and groups going together to buy friends.”
Every year UCI’s branch of the Community Service Organization Cricle K International, donates the money raised from service auction to a different non-profit organization. In the past, Circle K has supported such causes as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP) and Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH). This year proceeds contribute to Not For Sale, a non-profit organization which aims to stop human trafficking and put an end to modern-day slavery.

“Considering that people are offering their services — with the thought that they aren’t getting paid themselves but are offering their services selflessly for the good of fighting against human trafficking — was an amazing thing to see,” said Michael Tung, a third- year Japanese language and literature/International Studies  double major. Tung serves as Lieutenant Governor of Circle K’s Magic Kingdom Division, one of the many divisions that make up the California Nevada Hawaii (Cal-Nev-Ha) District for the Circle K International Organization.

“It was fun to personally be auctioned off as well and seeing how many friends would collaborate together to buy you from an opposing group of friends!” Tung added.
“Coming up with new and creative ideas to raise money for charities is important for Circle K, because we want to be able to stand out from the average community service club,” explained Sarina Saldana, a third-year public health major and currently one of the Public Relations Chairs. Saldana is also the incoming president for the 2012-2013 year.

“We are nowhere near average and that’s definitely what makes Circle K stand out among the rest.”