URBANA — What do an auction, a giant bake sale, an iPod Touch, and an eating contest have in common?

They are all part of the activities planned for this year's X-Week, Uni's annual series of fundraising events for charity.

Beginning Monday, X-Week '09 will raise money for the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, which is welcoming junior and senior volunteers for the organization's afterschool program later in May.

Last year, Uni raised more than $1,600 for Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners. Over the past few years, Uni has also donated to groups such as Habitat for Humanity and CASA.

Although X-Week usually ends with Big Show, the annual showcase of student-produced comedy sketches and videos, this year's Big Show will take place two weeks later, May 15 and 16. Originally scheduled for May 1 and 2, the cast and directors asked the administration for an extension to be better prepared.

Another change from last year is the return to class-sponsored activities. Last year's X-Week experimented with club-sponsored activities.

Though Student Council asked each class to come up with an event, executive secretary-treasurer Natsuki Nakamura emphasized that X-Week is meant to be a cooperative venture, not a competition among classes — unlike Pasta for Pennies, which was intended to be competitive. (That drive raised more than $1,700 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; the subfreshman girls raised the most money and are scheduled to receive their free lunch from Olive Garden on Wednesday.)

The schedule for X-Week is as follows, with descriptions provided by Nakamura. All events will take place during lunch:

• Monday, April 27:
  Saltine Cracker Challenge
  Pay $5 to try to eat six saltines in one minute. If you can do it, you get $20 back! Location: kitchen. Organized by StudCo executive officers.
• Tuesday, April 28:
  Watermelon Fest
  Have a slice of watermelon for free … if you can spit the seed far enough. Or enter a watermelon-eating competition for $5 for all you can eat. Location: outside if weather is good. Organized by sophomore class.
• Wednesday, April 29:
  Bake Sale
  All kinds of delicious goods for sale. Location: kitchen. Organized by junior class.
• Thursday, April 30:
  Water Balloons
  Throw water balloons (50 cents) at human targets. Location: outside. If weather is poor, there will be a rain date sometime in the next two weeks. Organized by subfreshman class.
• Friday, May 1:
  Senior Auction
  Buy all sorts of unique items offered by the senior class. The auction is one of the most popular of X-Week traditions. Location: Uni Gym.

A weeklong raffle organized by the freshman class will take place in addition to the lunchtime activities. Students who enter will have a chance to win an iPod touch as the grand prize.

There will also be runner-up prizes, including gift cards from iTunes, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Custard Cup. Prizes are limited to one per person. The winners will be drawn on Friday at the senior auction.

Raffle tickets will cost $3, with a special deal of four for $10. Tickets will be available from class officers Jamie Blue, Christina Harden, Marie Lilly, and Annie Rong during lunch throughout the week.

Music will also be played in the hallways during passing periods. Requests can be made for 25 cents apiece.

"X-Week is always a good opportunity for Uni students to think about the local community and how they can give back to it," said StudCo executive president Isaac Chambers.