This past Monday was October 3rd. What is the significance in this? What makes it different than any other Monday? Simple, it was a Monday that represents the life of so many people around the country. That day was National Child Health Day.

This day spotlights something that is a huge part of many lives from the children directly involved in the care and the loved ones who stress over a child's well-being, to the professionals giving care and the people who support from a distance. This topic is one that, more than any other, unifies generations towards a brighter future. One part of this great puzzle takes place on college campuses all around the nation. That part is Dance Marathon.

Odds are you have heard of this grand event. It is a special philanthropic event that often envelopes campuses like none other. What makes this event so special? The answer is everything. It combines fundraising with a celebration to create a truly unique atmosphere. If you have not thought of being involved with Dance Marathon before, I would strongly encourage you to take that step towards becoming a part of it.

Every day, kids are admitted to the hospitals supported by Dance Marathons around the country. Every day, a family receives saddening news about their child. Every day, a parent is faced with the possibility of losing their precious child. Sometimes, these kids find their way to normal lives. However, that's not always the case. There are children who have to fight an illness bigger than themselves. Those children require constant healthcare or have been deemed a terminal case. In such situations, medical bills pile up, and parents go deep into debt just for any hope of their child recovering. During terminal cases, these parents take on these astronomical costs despite the bleak outlook. They mortgage their financial futures just to make their child comfortable, and to buy just a little more time with each other.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Dance Marathons around the nation work together to relieve as much of this burden as they can. Through the money donated, families are getting more support than ever from people they will likely never even meet. With the goal of fundraising, many wonder what the point of the long (from 12-40 hours) event even is. Why go to this event when you are already donating to the cause? Because that is what makes Dance Marathon special. Children from these hospitals come to the event to celebrate life and tell their stories. Dancers stay on their feet to dance for the kids who can't. The image of a community that comes together for a common cause cannot be done justice through words or pictures.

Anyone could lounge around for a day, or watch TV. People may not want to dedicate a day to such an event, but they should remember that there are thousands of kids who would dance the day away gladly if they could. It's an opportunity to be a part of something more important than any one person.

There are many parents who had to consciously choose to take their children off of life support. They had to choose to give up on any remaining hope of seeing their child again, any hope of playing with them, of watching them grow up, of witnessing them get married and have their own family. Those parents and their children are why I DM. So that no parent ever again has to make such a horrific decision. Until that day comes, I will never quit.

And neither should you.