Dance Marathon’s main event may not start until April 5, but events leading up to “Ziggython” start this week.

On Feb. 15, BGDM is hosting an Extra Life carnival for students that lasts 12 hours. Paying $15 gets students a shirt, meal and maybe a good piece of mind.

They also have a Mini-Marathon on March 1, which is a seven hour carnival.

One of the major projects in the works for BGDM involves grabbing the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. Corinne Vincent, Multimedia chair of BGDM said there is a video and tweets that are being used to contact Ellen.

You’ve got to keep moving. Whether it’s to the Cupid shuffle or the electric slide. ‘For The Kids’ gives students the opportunity to boogie down all night and day, for 32 hours to be exact.

BG students get that chance to dance for those that can’t at Bowling Green’s Dance Marathon, or “Ziggython.”

Ziggython is a fundraiser to help children with cancer, whom Dance Marathon founders call “miracle kids.”

BGDM has different events to help generate more money to the miracle kids.

Sarah Haucks, event coordinator said she regretted not dancing last year. Instead, she got on to the event management core committee so she could help out in some way. She said she loves everything the organization stands for.

“It’s inspiring to be in a room full of hundreds of young people who are passionate about one main cause,” Haucks said.

While other members planned pre BGDM events, Haucks’ job required a few problems that needed solutions.

Haucks said the change of venue has been the biggest challenge. In past years, the event took place in the Rec Center, but because of recent renovations Dance Marathon has moved to the Perry Field House.

“We were worried about the field house not being big enough,” Haucks said. “There has to be enough rooms for the amount of people we hold.”

The miracle families, whom the event raises money for, need an extra room to cool down after all the excitement. The workers of the event also need a room to put all of their belongings such as clothes and extra food.

Another issue Haucks came across is maximum capacity in the field house. She said there will probably need to be a contract written with the field house on what the event workers can and can’t do.

Along with that, security contracts have to be written up and enforced, which she plans to have done by the end of March.

The roles involved are morales and dancers.

Baylee Lendhart is a morale captain, and she says that all morales have to raise $100 to attend the event.

“It’s like an incentive for them to attend and have fun,” Lendhart said.

Dancers in the event have to pay a $25 application fee by March 22.

The event takes place on April 5 and 6. The dancers will dance for 32 hours and the morales work two 8 hour shifts.

Last year, BGDM raised more than $314,000, but their goal was and still is, $500,000.

The planning for Dance Marathon started back in August of last year.

Collectively, BGDM has raised over $3 million over the past 19 years.