When you ask anyone at Wake Forest University about Wake ‘N Shake, you will hear stories of people dancing for 12 hours straight, fun with photo booths, peppy yoga instructors, bouncy houses, flash raves, and more. You name it! Wake ‘N Shake has it. Started in 2006, the event aims to recruit as many students, faculty, and alumni as possible to dance their day away and raise money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.

Over the past nine years, Wake ‘N Shake has grown an incredible amount-- and this year was one of its biggest years yet. So far this year, dancers have managed to collectively raise over $284,000, which is more than it’s ever raised! Wake ‘N Shake is now the biggest philanthropy event at Wake Forest University, and has since become a beloved event that the whole Demon Deacon community can participate in together.

In addition to having an amazing cause, Wake ‘N Shake is filled with a ton of fun things to do. When you register at the beginning of your shift, you get a colored t-shirt that represents one of the eight teams. Each team has a team champion, who is an individual who has fought or is currently fighting cancer. Throughout the 12 hours, each team champion shares their inspiring story of strength and hope throughout their battle with cancer. Other speakers include our college president, Nathan O. Hatch, and many other speakers interspersed between the dancing and upbeat music. The committee leaders also lead the crowd in a huge group dance; each year it’s a unique, student-choreographed dance to a mix of many different songs. It is taught in two-minute segments throughout the events, and by the end of the 12 hours, the dance is more than eight minutes long and the entire crowd knows it. To keep up the energy, there are many other things planned, such as a ton of food, games, performances by dance teams, yoga classes, and infinite Red Bulls provided to all dancers.

To raise even more money, Wake ‘N Shake student leaders look to the community to find sponsors in Winston-Salem to provide equipment, monetary donations, or packages for a raffle that is held during the event. Each ticket for the raffle costs around $1.50, or you can even buy “Deacons Fight Cancer” t-shirts. And all of the proceeds from everything sold at the event go exclusively to the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund! This year, some of the sponsors included Aramark, Baker Roofing, Deacon Station rentals, image360, and many more.

This event is not only a beloved day in the eyes of the entire Wake Forest community, but it is an extremely effective and inspiring philanthropy that allows students to participate in something that’s “about being a part of something bigger than [themselves],” a famous tagline from Wake ‘N Shake throughout the years.

To me, Wake ‘N Shake shows how powerful the Wake Forest community can be when it comes together to make a difference in the world. It also is an incredible way to spend a Saturday-- dancing together to fight against cancer.