Students raise $380K during 32-hour dance marathon for youth with cancer, blood disorders
The 13th annual Dance Marathon, in which 410 dancers remained on their feet for 32 hours, raised a record-breaking $380,351 this year for the Embrace Kids Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aids the nonmedical needs of children battling cancer and other chronic illnesses such as sickle-cell and blood disorders.
The mission of Dance Marathon is to unite the Rutgers community in an effort to raise money and increase awareness for the New Brunswick-based Embrace Kids Foundation. Since 1998, the annual event has raised more than $2 million.
One of the dancers, first-year Rutgers student Emily Amador, has benefited from the Embrace the Kids Foundation firsthand. Amador was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma last year and the organization helped her and her family cope with the devastating event.
The foundation also helps families in the tri-state area with the non-medical needs. For example, the foundation sent a child care specialist to visit Amador in the hospital every day, to ensure she was never bored.
There are two main rules of Dance Marathon: no sleeping and no sitting. The students alternate dancing so they can squeeze in time for homework. Some play games to help the time go by.
This year only dancers who raised a mandatory $350 or more for the marathon prior by March 11 were allowed to participate, which lowered the number of dancers by 40. Yet, they still raised over $2,000 more than last year. There were also more non-Greek and first time participants this year.