Dance Marathon

You Can … If You Want To

Maybe you have never even heard of Dance Marathon. If you have a student at IU, you will definitely want to know about this event, possibly donate to this event and encourage your student to get involved. Perhaps you have seen the Facebook posts from your student or friends’ kids that say #FTK or #ForTheKids. Maybe even fundraising pages for an event called Dance Marathon. This is college philanthropy at its best. Created to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in 1991, Dance Marathons are held at college campuses across the country to raise funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals across North America.

Dance The Night Away

Dance Marathon, also known in Bloomington as IUDM, will take place in November of 2020. The number of participants, which includes dancers, staff, captains, and directors (overall) numbers more than 4,000 students. The 36-hour event is split into three, as things won’t be as packed as it would be with one 36 hour shift and is typically at the IU tennis center. They will line dance, enjoy live entertainment, and meet some of the families that benefit from the funds raised. Staff and captains run various fundraising events throughout the year, starting with Miracle Week, culminating in the dance marathon. 75% of donations support pediatric health research at Riley’s Well’s Center for Pediatric Research while 25% of donations go to clinical expenses.

The Last Dance

$40 million has been raised for Riley Hospital since 1991. There are many opportunities for students to get involved starting when they first step foot on campus and not just as a dancer. My daughter finds it to be the most moving of all her college experiences and looks forward to each one. Her freshman year she signed up to dance because her friends wanted to, but as soon as she met some of the kids whose lives were touched by the funds raised, she was hooked. From my perspective, I could not have been more proud of their participation and that this event truly puts into perspective how blessed they truly are. For more information or to donate go to IUDM.

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