As a sister of a sorority, a member of honors societies and several on-campus organizations and a full-time student on top of it all, I know what it means to be completely and utterly busy. Four classes on a Monday and being in over my head in schoolwork becomes a social norm and a daily struggle. Some of the toughest battles are choosing which classes to take next semester and constantly wondering where on Earth a normal social life will possibly fit into this whole mess. However, every once in a while, I force myself to take a step back and appreciate how fortunate I truly am. I have an incredibly supportive family, a college education and good health. Instead of stressing over having too much on my plate, I should be reminding myself that there are people who do not have nearly enough.
Every year at Rutgers University, the Embrace Kids Foundation hosts a massive event known as Dance Marathon. Stretching across a two-day period, Dance Marathon requires dancers and volunteers to stay awake and on their feet for 30 hours straight. Each dancer and volunteer raises a specific amount of money individually before the start of the event, and all proceeds go toward Embrace Kids Foundation, an organization that provides support for local families that have children with cancer and other blood diseases. Although the entire concept of staying awake and on your feet for 30 hours seems almost insane, let alone impossible, the cause that this event supports couldn't be any better.
At Rutgers University alone, there are 800 dancers who have chosen to sacrifice themselves to exhaustion and physical pain each year in order to make a difference to a family in need. Those 800 dancers don't include the hundreds of volunteers who chose to serve a 6 hour shift, helping in any way that they can in order to make the event a success.
Dance Marathon truly is a sacrifice—a surrender to something that is almost unthinkable in order to better a life other than your own. Although, after the 16th hour of standing, the pain in your feet may seem unbearable, you must remind yourself that the pain of a family that has a child with cancer is much, much worse. It really puts life into perspective, and has made me realize that I am fortunate to have the busy schedule that I do and to live the healthy life that I live. In 2014, Rutgers Dance Marathon raised $622,533.98, and it was all for the kids.
I have said it before and I will say it again: Dance Marathon was, by far, the hardest thing I have ever done. But here I am, getting ready to dance again in 2015. If you haven't been a part of this incredible journey, I suggest that you sign up. Dance Marathon makes a difference, and it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can find.
Add it to your bucket list, it is something you won't regret.
