For those of you that don’t know, Dance Marathon is an organization generally run by students at various colleges, high schools, and elementary schools around the U.S. Students strive to raise money for the kids and their families, hospitals, and the children’s miracle network, and provide support, and hope to kids with life threatening illnesses. I’m going to share several reasons why dance marathon has changed my life and how it can change yours.

It’s a year round organization- Dance marathon doesn’t provide support just when it’s convenient for them, they provide support all year round. Sometimes you don’t see certain things coming and dance marathon participants are always there right away with a smiling face and a helping hand. In retrospect, it’s not just one event either. We do various different events to raise money and provide support to the kids and their families. Events such as; restaurant fundraisers, marathons, various fundraiser opportunities, golf outings, and the list goes on… Dance marathon also provides support first hand by going and being part of the kid’s and family’s lives as they are very scared.

100% of the money goes to the kids- Whether it goes to building a more high-tech hospital, more research, parking passes for families, gift cards, toys for the kids to play with, places for the families to stay, or food for them to eat. 100% of that goes back to benefit the kids and their families. And that’s the cool part!

It shows you the true value of life- many of these kids and families live in the hospital for MONTHS and don’t get to go do fun things like swimming or bowling, or things as simple as riding their bike to get ice cream. We often take these everyday things for granted, even while there are kiddos literally fighting for their lives on a daily basis. Let me put this in perspective for you. Cancer is the leading cause of death in young children. Each day, there are 43 kids diagnosed with cancer, and more than 40,000 children undergo cancer treatments each year, leaving 1 out of every 8 child who will not survive. That’s a lot. We can just go out and play while these kids and families don’t even know if they will wake up the next morning.

Why do I dance? I could go on and on about how dance marathon has positively impacted my life and the lives around me. How much Dance marathon means to me, and all the good things they do. But I want to talk a little bit about why I dance. I dance for more ice cream dates with my friends, and more movie nights. More chocolate milkshakes and crazy hair days. I dance for more bubble baths and dancing in the rain. I dance for more car jams and more naps. I dance for more superheroes and princesses. I dance for kiddos that I hold close to my heart such as Flash and Griffin. I dance for people I know who have lost their battle to cancer, both old and young. I dance for a cure. I dance for a hope. I dance for the KIDS. And I will not stop until there is a cure. I ask you to do the same.

If you would like to donate to dance marathon, please follow this link. Donate: Payton Cannon

All donations go to the kids/families of the University of Iowa children’s hospital and children’s miracle network, and are tax deductible. Thank you, FTK!