A septet of University College female freshers have completed a charity tan-a-thon, applying spray tan to themselves in an effort to raise money for The Life Foundation, an organisation that supports orphaned and abandoned children and those with mental disabilities in the Oltania region of Romania.
The decision to raise for Romania was inspired by the work of Abi Karas, one of the tanners, who is headed back there this summer for further volunteer work in Oltania. The group’s Facebook event boasts, “We’ve rounded up our pastiest and most self-conscious friends to embark on a journey of humiliation all in the name of The Life Foundation which, if you’ve ever spoken to Abi (ever), you will have heard about.”
The group’s page on Charity Giving promises, “The more you raise the darker we go,” with additional goals including “If we get to £500, Abi will stop talking about Romania for a week,” and “if we get to £600, Sybil will get the darkest tan again for Univ Ball.” The first round of tanning took place on Tuesday, with an effervescent, ersatz orange glow emanating from the tanners.
The tanners have additionally promised that if they reach £1000, they will shoot a nude calendar. As of Wednesday, £789.50 has been raised. The nude calendar has been a popular charity raising method in Oxford recently, with many college sports teams making their own.
Tan-a-thon participant Sybil Devlin explained the impetus behind the group’s decision to spray tan. She stated, “We always joked about one of the girls being akin to a vampire in her paleness but then realised that we were all, unfortunately in the same boat, so it seemed like a natural progression from forcing her to get one to cheer everyone up during Prelims to actually doing something worthwhile with the humiliating idea.”
