On April 1st, the dance marathon club held their first official marathon. The event consisted of delicious food, good music, and fun games all night long. The club has been planning this event for a majority of the year, and it did not disappoint. The initial purpose of this event was to raise enough money for a charitable cause. Dance marathon organizers are primarily focused on staging a fantastic event for the dancers; however, it is the participants themselves who were responsible for collecting donations throughout the night.

The event was held in our very own gym, with help from the members of OwlThon at Florida Atlantic University. The members of OwlThon assisted in hosting the event, along with helping them achieve their fundraising goal. “I think we will be able to reach our fundraising goal because we’ve been working hard to raise money all year,” says vice president Shayna Caddell. 

As the night came to a close, everyone who attended was asked to sit down in a circle to mark the end of the marathon. Prizes were awarded to the people who raised the most money throughout the night. The most memorable part of the night was when they were asked to cut off the hospital bands given to them at the beginning. “We do this to symbolize finding a cure to and or stopping childhood illnesses,” said president Carrie Wahlfrid.  

At the end of the night, it was revealed that the members raised $6,216 in total, which is outstanding for the first timers. “We are very proud of what they’ve accomplished throughout the year and we hope to be able to work with them again next year,” said marathon director Emily O’Neal. 

All in all, the event was very successful. All profits will go towards UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.