The sixth annual Pack-a-thon dance marathon is changing from the traditional 24 hours to 12 this year, according to Jenna Tie, operations chair.

Tie, a junior in communication, said organizers decided to cut the time to motivate more people to come who could not commit to the previous event, which will be benefiting the North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

The event will be held from noon to midnight Feb. 9, but in past years, participants could not sit or sleep for 24 hours.

Becca Carbonell, fundraising chair and a senior in biological sciences, said that most people could not commit to the longer time because it took up most of the weekend.

“It was overwhelming — people won’t be so tired now,” she said.

Tie said the organizers hope that the shorter period this year will be “more appealing for the student body” and give the marathon a fresh beginning. “We’re going to start over smaller, and then build up [the time] as more people become interested,” she said.

According to Tie, by doing this, organizers can establish a dedicated group that will come back each year.

Mike Giancola, adviser and director of the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service, said organizers have not made any decisions yet on where the event will be held, but they will be meeting next week with Carmichael Complex.

“We’re proud to have had them here,” Dawn Sanner, director of Carmichael Complex Facilities and Operations, said.

But Sanner agreed that the time reduction is a good idea for the “best utilization of resources.”

She said the reduction was not Carmichael’s idea but one that the Pack-a-thon organizers made, which Carmichael agreed with.

Tie said the marathon is a reflection of the hard work parents, families, hospital staff and the children who spend their time at the hospital put in.

According to Tie, benefits go to the Newborn Critical Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital, a high-tech facility dedicated to ill infants.

Ruth Garland, overall chair of the Pack-a-thon dance committee, said each participant in the marathon must be sponsored by at least $50, but they encourage each participant to raise as much money as possible.

Different groups or companies sponsor each hour of the event, select a theme and plan the activities during their hour.

Garland, a senior in biochemistry, said there is a hospital hour where families involved with the hospital come and share their stories as a reminder of the marathon’s purpose.

According to Garland, the hospital gives Pack-a-thon a list of suggestions from which they choose what they want their proceeds to fund. She said the committee’s goal this year is to raise $35,000.

Garland said committee members are hoping to gain approval to hold the marathon in Carmichael, as they have had it there in previous years.

“Carmichael has always been so helpful, and we are very appreciative and hope we can have it there again,” she said.

According to Carbonell, Pack-a-thon has smaller events every month, including one today at the Ben & Jerry’s on Hillsborough Street from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tie said Giancola, Student Body President Bobby Mills and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford will be scooping ice cream, and 15 percent of all profits will go to Pack-a-thon.