Sometimes, superheroes save the world not by defeating the bad guys, but by fundraising.
To collect donations for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and support their organization’s service activities, NSU’s MAKO Rangers are hosting a week of events from March 19-25.
The week will include a dodgeball tournament and pool party, cupcake-making, Power Rangers photo booth, Menchie’s fundraiser, movie night, Power Ranger-themed dinner, and beach cleanup and cookout. Fifty percent of the funds the club raises, except for the money collected for Relay for Life, will be donated to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
MAKO stands for Monumental Action through Kindness and Optimism.
“Our whole mission statement is really to help out children and put a smile on their face, especially sick children and families,” said Jake Bence, co-president of the MAKO Rangers and junior chemistry major. “One of the main events that we do every semester is to try to have at least two hospital visits, so we want to incorporate the hospital visits with [donating] funds to the hospital.”
Li Cohen, vice president of the MAKO Rangers and senior communication major, said that the MAKO Rangers have visited Joe DiMaggio Children’s hospital in the past.
“The kids are great there,” she said. “We want to give back in more ways than just going to visit.”
Cohen said that some of the kids the Power Rangers visit have been in the hospital for months.
“Sometimes the kids are all shy, but you can just see that they’re excited just to have visitors that aren’t hospital workers, and I think it’s really important for people to know that going to [MAKO Week] and helping us get to [hospitals] is so important and helps kids have a little more hope than before we went,” Cohen said.
Bence said that this year’s MAKO Week has a lot more events than in 2016, and that last year there wasn’t a great turnout because it was MAKO Week’s first year.
“We really want this to be something where NSU students and faculty and staff can come together to enjoy and really have a good time, while also helping make a difference to the kids at Joe DiMaggio’s,” Cohen explained.
Bence said that he wants participants to have a great time and learn more about the MAKO Rangers.
“Even if they don’t want to join our club, [I want them to] have fun, get involved and know they’re supporting a good cause and feel good about that,” Bence said.
The MAKO Rangers will hold a scavenger hunt throughout the week on the GooseChase app, and the winner will receive two free tickets for the Power Rangers movie night on March 24.
The dodgeball tournament and pool party is open to anyone in the NSU community. Tickets are $10 per person before March 17, and there is a five person limit per team. Meal tickets for the event are also available for $10. To sign up, email Matt Lowater at ml1781@nova.edu.
MAKO Week Calendar
Splash Bash Dodgeball Tournament and Pool Party
March 19 | 1-5 p.m.
@Leisure Pool
MAKO Cupcake
March 20 | 12-1 p.m.
@UC Pit
Morph Yourself Photo Booth
March 21 | 8-11 p.m.
@Commons 123
Makyo’self Some Menchie’s
March 22 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
@UC Pit
Chartwell’s Power Ranger Dinner
March 22 | 6-8 p.m.
@UC Food Court
Relay for Life Kickoff
March 23 | 6:30-9:30 p.m.
@Shark Fountain
Power Rangers Movie Trip
March 24 | 8 p.m.
Beach Cleanup Service Day and Cookout
March 25 | 2 p.m.
@Fort Lauderdale Beach
Photo: The MAKO Rangers executive board at Sharkapalooza.
Caption: L. Cohen
