Dance Marathon began at Penn State University in 1973. By 1977 it had a set length (48 hours) and was an annual benefit for the Four Diamonds at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center. Today “THON” is the biggest Dance Marathon in the United States and raises over $8 million annually for the Four Diamonds Fund. Much has changed since those days and many more Universities have adopted Dance Marathon a
s an organization within their community. While a few Dance Marathons still remain as independent organizations raising money for separate causes, many have partnered with Children’s Miracle Network. Every year Dance Marathons across the nation come together to be the largest donor to Children’s Miracle Network, donating more than $14 Million in 2014 alone. UNI Dance Marathon has been helping children with life threatening illnesses for 6 years, giving financial and emotional support to hundreds of families across Iowa. All of the money raised through our event is given directly to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital through Children’s Miracle Network. The first Dance Marathon at UNI was held in February 2012. With just over 500 dancers, we broke a 20 year old National Dance Marathon record for most money raised by a first year DM by raising $56,473.01! Much has changed since that first Dance Marathon. Today, as the largest student run philanthropy on campus, Dance Marathon holds a 12-hour event and supports over 50 families from across Iowa. In 2013, with 750 dancers and 150 committee members, UNI DM raised over $100,000 in just our second year. In 2014, UNI DM raised just over $176,000 with over 1,000 dancers and 200 committee members. In 2015, UNI DM raised over $278,000 with over 1,000 dancers and 250 committee members! In 2016, UNI DM continued to make miracles a reality for children at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital by raising over $370,000. In 2017, UNI DM raised over $453,000 FTK! Since its beginning, Dance Marathon has raised a total of $982,000 for University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Dance Marathon represents a life changing experience, complete with the opportunity to meet Iowa children and families who have directly benefited from University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network. Each year UNI Dance Marathon continues to grow and make a larger impact on our families across Iowa. With your help, we hope to continue this wonderful tradition of college students making a difference! For more information on UNI Dance Marathon, please feel free to check out www.unidancemarathon.com
For videos check out our Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/UNIDanceMarathon
