Drake University students donned their dance shoes to raise $25,452.09 for children’s health at the Drake University Dance Marathon’s “Big Event” Feb. 28.
Drake University Dance Marathon is a college branch of a philanthropic program by Children’s Miracle Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to fundraising for pediatric health initiatives and wellness awareness. DUDM hosts several events throughout the year to encourage fundraising, ending with the Big Event in Parents Hall. DUDM and other Iowa dance marathons raised money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Dance Marathon shares a name with the global trend of the 1920s and 1930s, where dancers tested their endurance by dancing nonstop. While the Drake marathon on Feb. 28 did not involve nonstop dancing, spirited rules like no sitting and no caffeine consumption kept the energy high throughout the day.
DUDM honored four miracle children and one champion miracle child at the event. Each miracle child received specialty care at least once at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital, while a champion miracle child is an ambassador of the Children’s Miracle Network.
Matthew Meiners is the father of Carver Meiners, one of the first miracle children honored at DUDM since the chapter’s inception six years ago. Carver Meiners has attended DUDM every year since.
“[Carver] absolutely loves [Dance Marathon] … everybody makes him feel like he’s super special on this day,” Meiners said. “It’s one of his favorite things to do.”
Meiners said his son plans to be a pediatric nurse because of the care he has received.
“It’s a natural thing for him, especially being around something like [Dance Marathon] where people care,” Meiners said.
Members of the Drake University Dance team taught a section of the “morale dance” every hour, a group dance choreographed by the team for the event. The dance team later presented a segment of their halftime performance
Between dancing and other physical activities like freeze tag and relay races, DUDM had several fundraising opportunities throughout the day. Prize incentives encouraged guests to donate or to reach out to others for donations. For “penalty tag,” a guest would be sent to the penalty box if tagged by a miracle child or their sibling, and could bail out with a $3 donation.
Guests learned about the miracle children through speeches by them or their families, focusing on their health journeys and treatments at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
During the Big Event, DUDM collaborated with the Saint Louis University Dance Marathon for an hour-long fundraising competition to see which chapter could raise $720 the fastest. That specific goal reflects the 72 children admitted into a local children’s hospital every minute. DUDM won the fundraising contest.
Sean Groh, a second-year student and the executive director of Drake University Dance Marathon, became involved last year as a morale captain. Morale captains encourage a group of people at the Big Event to remain energized and rally donations.
“At the end of the day,” Groh said, “… this is obviously about raising money, but at the same time, it’s giving back to the kids that didn’t have this ‘normal’ childhood.”
Attendees entering the event received an event T-shirt and a wristband to write their “why” for attending. During the Circle of Hope near the end of the event, guests gathered in a circle, and the miracle families in the center cut off the guests’ wristbands. This ceremony symbolizes an aspired end to hospital trips for the families.
Before the Big Event, DUDM had raised an estimated $10,000 with around 110 people registered. On the event day, 146 people were registered, and the total funds raised were $25,452.09, the highest number DUDM has raised to date and surpassing the set goal of $20,000.
