A group of Mass Comm students is preparing for a mid-spring-break 24-hour creative blitz, when they will work in teams to produce marketing and advertising services for 12 area nonprofits.CreateAthon onCampus is the first program of its kind on a university campus, initiated at VCU by Associate Professor Peyton Rowe.
“The CreateAthon program started by RIGGS is such a rich and rewarding experience,” Rowe said. “Since my first CreateAthon in 2004, I’ve always wanted to bring this intense and fulfilling experience to students.”
The School of Mass Communications’ initiative is registered as a topics course MASC 491: Nonprofit Project Development.
More than 20 undergraduate students from the school, 20 graduate students from the Brandcenter and nearly two dozen local professionals will participate in CreateAthon onCampus around the clock, starting at 8:30 a.m. on 
nonprofits in an effort to help them fulfill their missions.
Rowe says the results from the professional CreateAthon programs that she has participated in have been invaluable for client organizations.
“CreateAthon projects give these nonprofit organizations the opportunity to focus on what they do best – helping others,” She said.
Public relations coordinator and PR senior Carrie Lefler has worked with Rowe on the CreateAthon onCampus from its planning stages. Lefler participated in the professional version in fall 2007 in Richmond at PUNCH and now is excited to work with her peers and professionals at VCU.
“It’s great to be a part of such an exciting opportunity,” she said, “and be able to see how this idea has grown into an actual event.”
The VCU program is based on the professional CreateAthon, which was started in 1998 by RIGGS advertising agency in South Carolina and is now a national program and network that annually supports nonprofits.
“It’s truly amazing to help people who don’t have the funds to fulfill their good will to help the community,” Lefler said.
Creative advertising senior David Canavan will volunteer on one of the working teams. He says the experience from the program would be beneficial for both students and client nonprofits.
“It’s a good cause and I think it’s going to give me a lot of experience that’s really valuable to me as a student,” Canavan said.
Following the pilot program at VCU, Rowe plans to offer CreateAthon onCampus to other universities and spread the idea to more students and nonprofits.
For more information about CreateAthon onCampus, visit http://www.createathononcampus.org/
A list of selected nonprofit organizations:
Richmond Friends of the Homeless
Twin Saddles Therapeutic Riding, Inc.
Richmond Affiliate, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Lifelong Learning Institute, Chesterfield
Virginia Council for Economic Education
Offender Aid and Restoration of Richmond, Inc.
The United Virginia chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation
