Bucks 4 Bob gets students hopping

In a scene lifted straight from a 1980s John Hughes film, students dance and sing to Asia's "Heat of the Moment." The cement floor above the filled in old boy bounces with the beat; Dods' multipurpose room is dancing along. What could bring about such a jubilant scene? One man.

Bob Geffert is perhaps the most loved man on campus. Found behind the register at Cranston or Erie, Bob's infectious good mood and happy demeanor make him popular with students. Some students who read about Bob and his struggle with ataxia, they were moved to help. Katie Latson, Julie Schilaci, Stephanie Scheidt, Catherine Colmerauer and Camellia Tatara spearheaded a fundraising effort.

The girls came up with a simple plan: if everyone gave a dollar, it would add up. Bucks 4 Bob was born. With tables set up in McEwen for donations and registration, the week built up to the Dance-a-Thon Saturday in Dods Hall. All of the proceeds would go to the National Ataxia Foundation.

Ataxia affects the coordination of parts of the nervous system that control balance and movement. Ataxia can come from infection or injury, but is also a class of hereditary and sporadic degenerative diseases. These specific causes of ataxia are what the National Ataxia Foundation's primary concerns.

"It's mainly a hereditary disease," said Geffert. "The easiest way to put it is a mix of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, where you get the worst of both. You get the tremors and the memory loss."

When asked how he felt when Katie and the girls told him their plan, Bob simply responded with "astounded."

The Dance-a-Thon began slowly, with only a few people there when the doors opened at eleven. As the minutes ticked by and the numbers stayed low, creeping thoughts of concern and disappointment began to take shape.

In the midst of these concerns, an unassuming check from a Miss Wendy Ann Bluth arrived. When the envelope was opened, it was revealed that Miss Bluth had generously donated $200 to the cause.

Spirits bolstered, the dancing began in earnest. Slowly but surely, more people came to donate and register for raffle prizes.

AIGA, APO, Sigma Tau Delta and Henry's Hair donated baskets to act as prizes. Gift cards from Tower Gifts, Wishberry and Karen's Hair'em were also raffled off. The grand prize was a $25 gift card to Old Navy and a $50 card for TJ Maxx.

The crowd swelled as the Zumba class moved to the MPR instead of the dance studio, brining energy and a change of pace to the proceedings.

When 1:45 rolled around, the raffle began. Even the losers left the dance feeling good, knowing they helped a good cause for a better man.

All in all, the event was a success, and the girls raised $686.47 for the National Ataxia Foundation.

"We got a little nervous earlier today because we weren't sure if there was going to be a great turn out," said Schilaci. "But people on this campus really care about Bob. We even had families of visiting students stop by and give us some donations, just for hearing about the cause. We had visiting parents of kid who go here come and donate, which was great, and a lot of our friends came out to donate to Bob. Some people saw he was missing at Cranston, and realized he was over here, and they came over. The fact that he is such a staple in our campus community, that people came and took time out of their Saturday to do something nice for him, that says a lot about the campus community that we are."

Colmerauer too pointed to Bob as being a key to the Dance-a-Thon's success.

"I think the reason we got such a response is just a testament to his character," she said. "The fact that people kept putting in money, saying ‘I'm doing this for Bob' … he goes above and beyond his job by getting to know everyone on an individual level and greeting everyone with a smile … this campus wouldn't be the same without him. The money we raised is indicative of how amazing he is as a person, and how we want to thank him."

With close to $700 dollars raised this year, Latson has high hopes for the event in the future.

"Now that we got the word out about what ataxia is, and everyone loves Bob on campus, we hope that next year we can get it going more. Get more people involved, so they know what's going on."

With Latson, Schilaci, Scheidt, Colmerauer and Tatara graduating this Spring, students have already stepped forward to help make Bucks 4 Bob more than a one time deal. If you would like to find out how you can help, call Katie Latson at 585-705-0503.