Senior Stanley Hines raised $65 in his first 20 minutes at the Phone-a-Thon. Hines is working hard to secure scholarships for his fall semester at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Some people are nauseated by the idea of volunteering at a phone bank. For others, like Cory Folk, winning over random strangers on the telephone is an unexpected talent.

Folk and Kristin Wrobel, both seniors, raised exactly $600 on the first night of the Dollars for Scholars Phone-a-Thon, a phone bank that collects donations for college scholarships.

“We called certain people, and we were lucky enough to get a good folder, I guess,” Folk said.

The Phone-a-Thon, which has been running for eleven years, is one of the largest Dollars for Scholars fundraisers, and is still growing: according to Dollars for Scholars president John Cerrone, over 125 students appeared today, and more are expected next Sunday.

The organization keeps records on each participant, from grades 9 to 12. The more a volunteer participates, the more likely he is to receive a scholarship. Between 25 and 30 scholarships are given, ranging from $300 to $500 each.  Because the organization’s board of directors receives no compensation, every penny donated goes directly to the students in scholarships for graduating seniors.

In 1999, 20 students attended Phone-a-Thon, raising a total of $2000. Last year, 230 students volunteered, raising about $18,000. The goal in recent years has been $25,000; typically, the Phone-a-Thon meets that goal, but the Great Recession considerably affected last year’s donations. With such a great turnout, Cerrone is optimistic about meeting the $25,000 mark this year.

“They’re working very aggressively, and they’re doing a great job…they’re a great bunch of students, and we’re very happy that they’re here with us,” Cerrone said.

Folk, who has never volunteered at a Phone-a-Thon before today, attributes his group’s success to simple charisma.

“Hopefully we can do as well next week,” Folk said. “Kristin and I are going to team up and see what we can do.”

Sometimes, charisma just isn’t enough.

“I called a person and started talking, they said ‘Hello’, I started talking, and halfway through my pitch, they hung up. I kept talking…it was a little awkward, just talking to myself. It happens, though,” Folk said.

“People were actually really nice about it,” said senior Mike Cardwell,” except one guy who doesn’t take phone calls on Sundays.”

Seniors Tyler Sadonis and Tyler Bender work their way down the calling list.

Cardwell, who has also had no prior Phone-a-Thon experience, raised nearly $100 with junior Josh Peelman.

“One lady answered ‘Ooh! Ba ba la la!’, and I said ‘Pardon me?’ – I had to be respectful. Then she said it again, and I had to say ‘ Sorry, I can’t understand you’. Then she hung up on me,” Peelman said.

“I had to explain it to the guy over and over again…when he finally got it, I said ‘Would you like to make a pledge?’ He just said ‘No!’ and hung up…” Cardwell said.

More than anything, Phone-a-Thon was a chance for college-bound students to volunteer with their friends and secure their futures.

“It definitely was a pleasant surprise,” Folk said.