Dance Marathon is a must-get-involved BGSU event
Dance Marathon.
Each year BGSU hosts an event called Dance Marathon. It is the largest student-run philanthropic event in the state of Ohio. Essentially, BGSU students raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network during this 32-hour event, which supports local children’s hospitals (in this case Toledo Children’s Hospital). There are different ways to participate in the event. You can be a:
Dancer: stand on your feet for 32 hours
Moraler: stand about half the time and keep spirits high
Biker: Bike from Cincinnati to BGSU in three days (180 miles total)
Runner: Run for at least one, 30-minute interval during the event
Security: Make sure people are following the rules (minimum of four hours)
Core Committees: Administrative duties
Gamer: Play video games for as long as you can
Clean-up crew: (self-explanatory)
As a student you will hear about the event, see signs and be told by your friends how awesome it is. I didn’t believe it was true until I did the event. I did not do Dance Marathon my first year, and I regret it.
During sophomore year, I decided to be a dancer. Not knowing entirely what I was getting myself into, I reluctantly signed up with a friend. The event had an everlasting impact on me.
There are color teams at the event, and I was on the PURPLE TEAM!! Each organization is automatically placed on a certain colored team. The event started early Saturday morning and went until Sunday early evening.
It was 32 hours of me standing on my feet with no sleep (unless you are talented and can stand up while sleeping). It was emotionally, physically and mentally draining. Each hour brought something new, fun and exciting. I couldn’t wait to learn dances and meet the children we were helping.
The more money you raise, the more incentives you receive. If you raise $300, you get to sit down for about 15 minutes. Never did a 15-minute sit-down feel so good!
At the end of the event, your feet are throbbing and eyes are slowly starting to droop. You could fall over at any minute and go to sleep. This sounds intimidating, but it was all for the kids! They need this money for their serious illnesses and disabilities. Thirty-two hours of “pain” is barely anything compared to what these children have to go through in just one year. The stories are inspiring and made me want to do Dance Marathon again.
Therefore, I am. On March 31st, I will be a dancer for the second year in a row. I think being there for the entire event rather than being a moraler is more rewarding. Currently, my goal is $1,000, and I am only halfway there. Last year as a whole, I raised about $325, and as a campus we raised more than $200,000!!
I cannot wait to represent myself, Alpha Phi Omega, the purple team, at BGSU in a few months. Feel free to check out a YouTube video about Dance Marathon 2011 and my fundraising page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBI6dYX930
Until next time BG,
Mike