March 22 and 23 was definitely a weekend to remember. Tiny glowing faces, loud music and a sea of multi-colored shirts provided an electric atmosphere for Dance Marathon.
When I said I wanted to be a moraler for Dance Marathon, I was not exactly sure what I was getting myself into. It was my first time ever participating in Dance Marathon. I understood that I had to raise some money and I would have to be a sort of cheerleader. What I didn’t realize was how many people I would meet and how much fun I would have.
I was assigned two dancers to encourage during the event. Being able to pick one person out of a room filled with hundreds of people is an awesome feeling. Getting to know a complete stranger is even more amazing.
Of course not everyone had the same experience. Many people were paired with someone from their organization or a friend. But joining together with another person with a common goal in mind is an exciting experience. That common goal is making miracles for very special children.
Being a moraler also involved going to meetings with a select group of people, known as a color team. At these meetings, we got to know each other, design a banner and plan a theme hour. As Dance Marathon came closer, I began to plan my method of attack for the weekend. I purchased small gifts for my dancers. I also planned how I would keep a smile on my face at all costs.
The dancers gave themselves for 32 hours to help Miracle Network children. The least I could do was to try to keep them motivated to stay on their feet for the whole time.
A couple days before Dance Marathon, my organization met our Miracle child. His name is Dalton and he is an amazing child. Even after going through many hardships at Mercy Children’s Hospital, he is as active as can be. Seeing him brought the whole fundraising and hours for Dance Marathon into a new perspective. This is a real child that I along with many others across campus came together to help.
On Saturday morning at 10 a.m., I joined with other moralers in the Student Recreation Center. The atmosphere was definitely that of an excited crowd. We began clapping and soon the dancers ran into the room.
They were all so happy. With that, the 32 hours began and so did my most important job. From 10 a.m. on, I carried a smile on my face, danced and supported my dancers.
These dancers had so much they could have complained about, after being on their feet for many hours. Yet when I walked into the room after a break, they were smiling and having a great time.
After a long but extremely worthwhile 32 hours came the closing ceremony. The children who we had been inspired by throughout the night appeared on stage. As two of the children sang, tears welled among those in attendance.
Finally, the totals were revealed and the crowd broke out in cheers at the over $322,000 that was raised. Everyone’s work had been well worth the effort.
As I collapsed on the floor of my room, the only thought that ran through my mind was how awesome the experience was. I had done something that mattered.
