Dance Dance Revolution F(or)T(he)K(ids)!
Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success.”
On November 3, 2018, students at California State University-Fresno came together to host a dance marathon.
What is a dance marathon?
A dance marathon is an event where college students dance from 6-48 hours straight to raise money for a cause. Dance Marathon is a CMN program started at Indiana University in 1991 that raises money for children’s hospitals. Ryan White was infected with AIDS through a blood transfusion. He passed away a year before he was supposed to start at IU so his friends put on a dance marathon to honor his life and raise money for children’s hospitals.
Since 1991, colleges all over the US host dance marathons to raise money for their local children’s hospitals. Now Fresno State joined the movement and the ladies of Phi Mu Sorority organized the entire event. The dancing started at 12 pm sharp in the North Gym on campus and didn’t stop until the event was over.
The event had a few special guests. Norah Kelly, a 6-year-old Spina Bifida patient, rolled up in her bright pink wheelchair ready to dance the day away. Miss Madera County, Jacqueline Trafton joined in on the party as well. All of the college students, along with Norah, learned an entire dance to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.”
A few hours in, Carson Kelly,a 10 year old Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome patient, arrived to tell his story and judge the dancing competition between fraternities at Fresno State.
The event had dancing, food, games and fun all for a great cause: to help the children at Valley Children’s Hospital. The college community really came, stayed and worked together to raise over $10,000 FTK!
Every penny raised going directly to the kids at Valley Children’s Hospital = SUCCESS!