Groups participating in NC State’s annual Shack-a-Thon fundraiser, which raises money for Habitat for Humanity, prepared themselves Sunday to spend a week outside as they built their shacks on the Brickyard.

This year, 16 shacks will remain on the Brickyard all week in hopes to donate all proceeds to Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for people in need.

“We are out here fundraising so that Habitat for Humanity can provide more houses for these low income families,” said Samantha Cromer, a sophomore in extension education participating with the Interfaith shack.

At least two people will have to man each shack for 24 hours a day from 8 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Friday.

Last year Shack-a-Thon raised more than $37,000 for Habitat for Humanity. This year it hopes to raise just as much, if not more.

Each separate shack raises money through various methods to contribute to the cause. 

“[The Interfaith shack] will have sweet tea and we will be selling para-cord bracelets, hair bows, and I think we’ll also have henna tattoos,” Cromer said. 

Other groups, such as the Engineering Village, have taken a less conventional route to raise money, selling activities such as games as opposed to physical goods at their shacks.

“[The Engineering Village shack] is going to have carnival type games,” said Caroline Law, a sophomore in computer science.

Many of the shacks have separate goals of how much money they would like to raise.

“I would like us to have $1,500 by the end of the week,” said Growing Cartagena, a junior in civil engineering who is participating with the multicultural shack.

Alex Kim, a sophomore in chemical engineering, said the Park scholars shack had a goal to raise $1,500 as well. 

Others, however, do not have concrete fundraising goals set.

“We want to raise the most,” Law said. 

With defined goals or not, all of the shacks are raising money to support the same cause. 

Many of the shacks built this year were designed and built with different themes in mind too. 

 Kim, who helped build the Park scholars shack, said the Park scholars were going for a Hawaiian theme. 

Cartagena, who helped build the Multicultural shack, said the group wanted to use bright colors to attract more visitors to the shack. 

“We have a porch so people can be out [on our shack] hanging out,” Cartagena said.

Cartagena said the shack would even have couches and a rug on the porch because the builders wanted it to be a place people could come to have a good time and meet new people.

Many Shack-a-Thon participants said they choose to partake because they admire and appreciate the charity work that Habitat for Humanity does for those in need. 

Cromer said the organization keeps people from having to live on the streets or in a homeless shelter.

“I think that Habitat for Humanity is a really great organization,” Cromer said. 

Some participated because they participated in NC State’s previous Shack-a-Thon fundraisers.

“I liked [last year’s Shack-a-Thon] so much that I wanted to do it again, and I wanted to go bigger and better,” Law said. 

Others participated in the fundraiser because they simply enjoy doing so.

“I think it’s a lot of fun, honestly,” Cartagena said. “I just think Shack-a-Thon is just a great experience.”

Money can be donated through participating in booth’s individual fundraisers or online at www.habitatwake.org.