Fourteenth annual UNC Dance Marathon raises $483,210

Grand total announcement at the end of the marathon. Photo courtesy of UNC Dance Marathon

The 14th annual UNC Dance Marathon took place last weekend, raising $483,210.36.

The marathon was themed “Mission Possible,” a fitting theme as this year’s marathon was bigger than ever before with more than 2,000 dancers. Each dancer pledges to stand for 24 hours in honor of the North Carolina Children’s hospital patients, the cause for which the famous Dance Marathon motto “for the kids” was coined.

UNC Dance Marathon is the largest student organization on campus and continues to expand. The organization’s fundraising total is now more than $3.2 million. Maggie Riddell, Dance Marathon morale and recruitment chair, said she was excited to have had such a successful marathon. “We…will be able to make an awesome impact on the N.C. Children’s Hospital with the funds we raised over the course of this year,” she said.

Clark Ellis said the amount of student support for the hospital was inspiring. Ellis is the father of Jake Ellis, one of 25 kid co-captains involved with the marathon. Kid co-captains are children with some connection to N.C. Children’s Hospital who team up with the 25 Dance Marathon teams as a means of encouragement to that particular team.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULpPt9vPrzA&list=UUOfe5g0zkmIm3ai1x56gTrA&index=22&feature=plpp_video[/youtube]

Throughout the marathon, dancers enjoyed the lively support of morale leaders within their dancer team as well as the support of each kid co-captain and visitors from the UNC community. Rachel Brown, morale leader for one of the dancer teams, said she was excited but scared to participate.

“I got there and I have never had so much fun in my life,” she said. “Seeing over 2,000 students come together for a cause really embodies for me the Carolina way we all talk about so much.”

Tweets were constant throughout the marathon from dancers, visiting guests and the Dance Marathon Twitter feed. After UNC basketball team members visited, John Henson tweeted:

Members of the basketball team came out to support the marathon Photo Credit: UNC Dance Marathon

The UNC Clef Hangers visited early Saturday morning, later tweeting:

Student Body President Mary Cooper tweeted about dancing after hosting the first hour of the marathon:

Student Body President, Mary Cooper, hosted the first hour of the marathon Photo Credit: UNC Dance Marathon

Student dancers and participants, like Alison Whisenant, tweeted @UNC-DM why they dance:

A favorite moment of the night was the proposal by Alan Sheridan to Megan Warren, community events chair for UNC Dance Marathon. Dancers helped Alan propose with signs that spelled out “Will you marry me?” Warren said yes before jumping into Alan’s arms in excitement.

Alan Sheridan proposing to Megan Warren Photo Credit: UNC Dance Marathon

Loud music was constant throughout the night, and at 7 a.m. dancers were given glow sticks and participated in a rave. The entire event was high energy for the entire 24-hour stretch.

Early morning rave at the marathon Photo Credit: UNC Dance Marathon

Dance Marathon’s media relations sub-chair, Victoria Cook, explained that the marathon’s success is much more than the amount of money raised. She said she judges the marathon’s success based on the smiling kids who come to dance, the relief and gratitude in a mother’s face when her financial burden is slightly relieved by a group of dedicated students, and the number of student hospital volunteers and marathon participants who would go through the same aches and pains and do it all over again.

“I hope to see UNC Dance Marathon continue to grow and continue to be able to help the patients and families at N.C. Children’s Hospital in new and exciting ways,” she said.

Caroline James is a freelance writer for reesenews. She raised $200 as a dancer for Dance Marathon. 

  1. I want to try this one day!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by Sophia on February 28, 2012 at 6:42 pm