GrandPR’s 2026 CreateAthon: 24 Hours Behind the Scenes
When I walked through Lake Ontario Hall on the night of February 7, I saw open laptops scattered across tables and half-finished snack bags crumpled beside energy drinks. One GrandPR member was rehearsing their part of a presentation in the hallway while another client team debated messaging strategy in a classroom down the hall. A few students had already claimed their “nap spots” in preparation for the long night ahead. To an outside observer, the scene may have looked chaotic. But to me, it looked exactly how CreateAthon is supposed to look.
GrandPR’s 2026 CreateAthon took place from 9 a.m. on February 6 to 9 a.m. on February 7, 24 consecutive hours centered on one theme: Educate the Future. I had the opportunity to lead the planning for this year’s event. This meant coordinating client communication, organizing timelines, securing sponsors, building team structures, and making sure we had everything from presentation schedules to midnight snacks covered. For months, it felt like logistics were the entire job. But once it struck 9 a.m. on February 6th, the focus no longer revolved around planning and instead centered around people.
This year, our student teams partnered with three organizations rooted in education and empowerment in distinct ways: Girls on the Run West Michigan, Lake Michigan Academy, and GVSU’s CLAS Voyage program.
Girls on the Run® West Michigan
Girls on the Run® is a national nonprofit founded in 1996 that supports the social, emotional, and physical development of girls in grades 3–8. The West Michigan council serves Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa counties, empowering participants through interactive programming and community impact projects.
The GrandPR team partnered with Girls on the Run® West Michigan to develop an event promotion strategy for the organization’s celebratory 5K taking place this May on GVSU’s Allendale Campus. The event brings together girls from across Kent County, and knowing the campaign would directly support something tied to confidence and growth made the work especially meaningful.
Team member Haley Norton shared:
“CreateAthon was more than another high-stakes project. We know that our clients put their trust in our team and our work. To see our support or materials for Girls on the Run® being used in real time is so surreal and really shows me what I am truly capable of.”
Lake Michigan Academy
Founded in 1985, Lake Michigan Academy (LMA) is a nonpublic private school in Grand Rapids dedicated to empowering students with neurological learning differences, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, and auditory processing disorders.
The CreateAthon team, working with LMA, focused on a digital brand relaunch aligned with the academy’s updated identity. Their goal was to help the school connect more effectively with families and stakeholders through clearer messaging and a stronger online presence.
Ben Sanko reflected:
“CreateAthon was everything and more than I thought it would be. I assumed being locked in Lake Ontario Hall for 24 hours would be pretty bad, but I wouldn’t want to go through it with any other group. Bonding with the team while completing deliverables for Lake Michigan Academy was challenging at times, but the overall experience was so much fun.”
GVSU CLAS Voyage
The third CreateAthon team partnered with the GVSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ CLAS Voyage initiative, an experiential learning framework designed to support students across disciplines through real-world opportunities.
The team developed a student ambassador initiative aimed at increasing peer connection and overall program visibility. Something was fitting about building a strategy for an experiential learning program while actively participating in one ourselves.
As Annah Stang shared:
“CreateAthon is truly an experience unlike any other. Designing content for CLAS Voyage was especially impactful because we got to live out the experiential learning they provide while giving back. The fast-paced environment and bonding opportunities mirror post-grad life and help current members grow closer throughout the 24 hours.”
Seeing It From Every Angle
Last year, I participated in CreateAthon as a team member working on a single client account. This year, I saw the event from nearly every angle. That perspective helped me realize further that nothing happens alone.
I may have helped organize the moving pieces, but CreateAthon only works because people show up for one another. Because teams step up when they are tired. Because someone volunteers to rehearse one more time. Because someone else grabs snacks for the group without being asked. For me, leadership looked less like directing and more like supporting. It looked less like having all the answers and more like creating space for others to succeed.
Twenty-four hours pass quickly. The impact made during them does not.
CreateAthon would not be possible without support. Thank you to 8THIRTYFOUR, BlackTruck Media + Marketing, SeyferthPR, and the West Michigan Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA) for making this 24-hour pro bono effort possible.
I am grateful to have helped lead the planning of this year’s CreateAthon, and I am even more excited to pass the baton to the next student lead and see what next year’s teams will build.
About the Author
Lauren is a junior majoring in Advertising and Public Relations. Now in her second year with GrandPR, she serves as the firm's Chief Experience Officer, following previous roles as an Account Associate and Media Coordinator. Beyond GrandPR, Lauren further develops her professional experience as a Marketing Assistant for GVSU's Office of Student Life, co-leads GVSU’s National Student Advertising Competition team, and is a 2026 cohort member of The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relation’s EMERGE Leadership Academy. After graduation, she plans to launch a career in a public relations agency, then eventually advance her education in a specialized field and pursue an executive leadership role.