Dance Marathon benefits Children's Miracle Network

Participants were required to stay all eight hours and remain standing.

By Travis Cornejo

Published Nov. 17, 2009

Dance Marathon raised $14,872.08 by the end of the event Saturday night.

Junior Emily Vick said the steering committee started the event by explaining the rules of Dance Marathon. Watches, cell phones, caffeine and energy drinks were not allowed. Participants had to stay for the full eight hours and were not allowed to sit.

"We're basically standing for the kids that can't," Dance Marathon Steering Committee member Lexie Delaney said.

Dance Marathon Steering Committee member Yasi Hemmat said $13,000 had been raised by Saturday morning. All the money raised will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network.

Sophomore Micha Lorenz was the top-fundraising person with $535.

Vick said the steering committee also taught the participants the Morale Dance at the beginning of the event.

"At first it's crazy and you think it's super long," Vick said. "You end up learning it after eight hours. It's amazing how eight hours can unify a bunch of kids. By the end, it's not about the individual teams, it's about everyone."

Hemmat said the families of the children were invited to the event Saturday night.

Vick said it is really fun to see the families come and it is the best part of the night.

"It establishes that personal connection and you're reminded why you do it," Vick said.

Hemmat said participating teams consisted of Summer Welcome leaders, Greek Life organizations and groups of friends. Teams were required to raise a minimum of $200.

"We encourage them to raise more than that," Delaney said.

Delaney said some teams really got involved, going above and beyond just raising $200.

"One team even made their shirts match their banner," Hemmat said.

Vick was a part of the Alpha Kappa Psi dance team. The team included both active members and pledges of the fraternity. Vick said it was a good way to get to know the pledges.

"This is the first year Alpha Kappa Psi did it," Vick said. "I think we ended up raising a little over $200."

Vick said she approached the Alpha Kappa Psi executive board in September about participating in the Dance Marathon.

"They're really great," Vick said about the executive board. "We raised $100 and they matched."

Delaney said she applied to be on the steering committee after she was on a Dance Marathon team last year.

Hemmat said the subcommittees of the steering committee are catering, fundraising, family relations, morale, marketing and recruitment.

"They just work on getting more teams to sign up," Hemmat said about the recruitment subcommittee. "They deal with dancer relations."

Next year's Dance Marathon is scheduled for February 2011. Applications for steering committee positions have been available since Monday afternoon.