This year, Marbeck Center Board decided to bring back an old tradition, Dial-a-Dog. On Friday, Nov. 2, students were given the opportunity to order hot dogs and pop from the comfort of their own room in the residence halls. During the two-hour window, 140 hot dogs were sold. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Bluffton Public Library.
Kevin White, Marbeck Center Board advisor, said he remembered Dial-a-Dog events during his last few years as a student at Bluffton from 2007-11. For this year’s Dial-a-Dog, however, there was one significant change一the event was orchestrated as a way to raise money for charity.
MCB member Brianna Baker poses in her hot dog costume. Photo by Aubrey Bartel.
“We retooled it, repurposed it and we’re gonna try to make it work,” White said. “Marbeck Center Board has been wanting to do something for charity for the last several years, and we thought this would be a good idea to try to do this for charity.”
Members of MCB selected the Bluffton Public Library as the recipient of the funds raised from Dial-a-Dog一a fitting choice for White.
“My mom is a public librarian. She just celebrated her 40th year as a public librarian. I know from being close to her that the funding to all public libraries has been cut pretty drastically in the past several years, so while thinking about things in town, that was one of the ideas that was brought up,” White said. “Because their funding has been cut, they could really use outside funds to try to help out.”
MCB member Andrew Sluss delivers a hot dog to Mark Bourassa. Photo courtesy Kevin White.
During the event, students called the information desk at Marbeck Center to place orders for hog dogs, veggie dogs or pop to be delivered to their room or any location on campus. Hot dogs were sold for $1 each, and pop was sold for 50 cents.
After an order was placed, an MCB member texted the orders to the rest of the members in the concession stand to make the hot dogs. The order was then delivered to the student by members dressed in hot dog costumes. Members switched roles throughout the night, “allowing them to all be involved in different ways,” according to White.
Sophomore MCB member Brianna Baker said she was excited to be able to deliver the hot dogs. She said students were also excited to see the hot dog costumes.
“The best part was driving around in the mail cart in our hot dog costumes, and people looking at us,” Baker said.
White said he thought students would appreciate the unique opportunity to get food delivered to the dorms that isn’t pizza. He said he had high hopes the event would gain popularity on campus.
“It’s not often that you can order food to your room and be basically giving to charity at the same time,” White said.
White said he envisions Dial-a-Dog being an annual event.
“We’d like to do it at least once a year,” White said. “If we have a really good involvement then maybe we’d do it again in the second semester, and we’d just find a different cause. It’s not a hard event to run, and it’s a lot of fun.”
