This past fall, a close friend of mine approached me about helping her begin a new philanthropy club on campus to help hospitalized children. I had heard of the nationwide organization previously, but I didn't really know the ins and outs of the group. Since that fateful night, I have joined many friends in a whirlwind journey to create the wonderful student-run group that is Dance Marathon. As the days, weeks, and months have progressed, we have seen many trials and tribulations (just ask me about our venue), we have learned the terminology, such as FTK (for the kids), and we have grown as a community and organization. Our team is now 50 members strong. We are days away from the event, and it looks like everything just might work out. With that said, I wanted to clear up a few things about Dance Marathon for the general public, and encourage all to attend.
You don't have to be a good dancer to go to Dance Marathon.
You do not have to be an actual dancer, nor do you have to like dance in order to enjoy Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is nothing more than a party, a large party focused on the year-round hard work that its members have done. Is it good if you like dancing? Yes. Will you have fun even if you "don't dance?" Yes. Will people make fun of your poor dance skills? No. The focus of Dance Marathon are the Miracle Kids, who will benefit or have benefited from the aid provided by Dance Marathon and the Children's Miracle Network.
You should plan to stay for the whole event.
I know it seems crazy that we want you to give up your whole Saturday evening, literally hours of your time, to come to our event, but we promise it will be worth it. Our committees have spent hours painstakingly planning activities, from Zumba to Face Paint, that will keep you engaged the whole time. Can you come for only a few hours? Sure. Do we suggest you plan to come for the whole event? Absolutely. Dance Marathon is an experience that just may change how you perceive the world. Going for the whole event will mean experiencing a movement from start to finish.
Yes, you will be standing the whole time.
Standing represents our solidarity. We ask that participants stand to show the pride they have in the work they have done up until this point. We stand for the kids, because the discomforts that come with not resting give us a glimpse into the pain and struggles that these children and families are experiencing. Our Dance Marathon goes for eight hours, which is short compared to the 26 or 46 hours of larger, more established events at other schools, and significantly shorter than the amount of time that the Miracle Children spend recovering from their circumstances. We hope that our attendees accept the challenge and stand for that time.
You should consider year-round involvement.
Though we appreciate the day of participants and encourage everyone to come even if it is the last minute, moving forward, we want the student body to realize that the Dance Marathon movement can and should be viewed as a year-round celebration and fundraising movement. The families in our community are always looking for support and aid and committing to Dance Marathon all year long shows that you are in it for the long hall. We want to bring students together and work with one purpose in mind: being there for the kids.
No, this isn't about you.
Though Dance Marathon (the event) is a celebration of what you as a member of Dance Marathon (the club) have done to fundraise for and support the Children's Miracle Network, the bottom line is that Dance Marathon is not about you. Dance Marathon is about the children in the hospital who are fighting to live. Dance Marathon is about the parents who love their child endlessly, but are forced to watch their suffering with little opportunity to provide comfort. Dance Marathon is about the families who want to have more time to be a family.
We don't say FTK because it sounds good. We say FTK because we want to always remember that our goal is not to better our resumé or dance around in tutus; our goal is to support these children and their families when it feels like life is giving up on them. So if you believe in the power of love, kindness, and support, then I expect to see you there at hour one and hour eight, for the kids.
