On Saturday, Feb. 29, NC State hosted its annual Dance Marathon, which is a national event to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. According to Dance Marathon at NC State’s Facebook page, participants raised $69,745.92 this year for the Miracle Kids at Duke Children’s Hospital.

The Opening Ceremony included personal stories of Miracle Kids who have been impacted by donations from the Dance Marathon and performances by several student organizations including Ladies in Red, Wolfgang A Cappella, Acappology,  DanceVisions Dance Company, Grains of Time and Fusion Dance Crew, as well as local organizations including the CC & Co. Dance Complex. 

The event also included “Power Hour” which asked participants to post on social media and ask for donations. This hour alone raised $2,156.20. The event ended with the Miracle Cup being awarded to Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and Theta Chi fraternity.

While not everyone who contributed to the event chose to dance, the few who took on the challenge were on their feet for twelve hours without stopping. For Julia Allison, a third-year studying microbiology, the rewards of being able to directly make an impact far exceeded the exhaustion she felt after dancing for most of the day.

“This is actually my third year doing Dance Marathon, and it’s always so inspiring to see the actual kids that we help come, and to first-hand experience the impact that we’re having on these kids,” Allison said.

Another key component of the event was the many different student organizations, including several fraternities and sororities, who came out to provide support and help with the logistical side of the event.

Sarah Webster, a fourth-year studying animal science, and Sharon Harris, a fourth-year studying business administration and accounting, both attended the event as part of Omega Phi Alpha, a national service sorority. 

“We have a couple members of our organization who made a team here — four girls who made a team — and a lot of us are volunteering throughout the day with organizing, tabling, clean-up,” Harris said. “One of our sisters picked up all fifty pizzas.”

For both Harris and Webster, being able to participate in events throughout campus was a key factor in joining a sorority, and the Dance Marathon also held personal significance.  

“I know some people in my personal life who have also been battling this, so I think it’s just important for raising awareness and for being supportive of the kids and the next generation.” Harris said.

Although neither participated as a dancer, both Harris and Webster still contributed significantly to the event and played an integral role in maintaining a positive environment while also making sure the event ran smoothly.  

For Webster, the service aspect is what drew her to joining her sorority as she is passionate about volunteering and helping others, and being able to be part of such a fun and energetic environment while contributing to a cause she is passionate about was by far the best part of the event.  

“It shows that even with really simple tasks, you can make a big difference,” Webster said. “You don’t have to go really far out of your way to make a big impact on someone’s life.”

For the dancers, there were several unique challenges, including finding ways to eat and drink while on the dance floor. When asked what the hardest part of the event was, Allison responded, “standing while I eat, and holding all the food while standing.” However, Allison was quick to encourage other students to participate in the event, even if the idea of dancing for twelve hours seemed daunting.

“Do it.” Allison said. “Twelve hours isn’t really that long to stand and it’s so fulfilling. It’ll be so worth it.”