Dance Marathon announced this year’s Ziggython theme to be “20 Years of Miracles” at the Feb. 11 general meeting.

Alison Doughty, Dance Marathon Director, said coming up with the theme was intense.

“We chose to go with that because it’s our 20th year on campus and that’s a huge milestone,” Doughty said.

The University’s program is one of the five founding Dance Marathon programs in the nation, where there is now over 250 programs, Doughty said.

“We really wanted to focus on the 20 years,” Doughty said. “We thought, ‘what’s a better way to focus on it than to make it our theme?'”

Participant Relations Chair Michaela Weldon said she likes the theme because it highlights the organization’s accomplishments and milestones.

The theme allows for expansion of ideas for Ziggython, Weldon said.

She said she can see there being a throwback or future hour during the event, which will take place on April 18-19.

Going along with the theme and celebration of 20 years, the organization has a goal to raise $20,000 within one day.

The start of “20k1day” began at the general meeting at 10 p.m.

The meeting kicked off with a performance from student a cappella group, Not Yet Perfect, who will be performing at Ziggython.

Doughty said she thinks the theme will force the organization to make the theme a prime focus.

She said planning for the theme has already started and things related to the theme will be revealed as the year goes on.

Some elements include alumni testimonies and video to show “where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going,” Doughty said.

“A big part of our organization is the money and it always will be; we have a big hospital of children depending on us,” Doughty said. “But more than that, always more than that, I think it’s about the community and I think that’s why we have existed as long as we have.”

Entertainment Core Committee Member Lauren Franks said her first year doing Ziggython was last year and she found the experience to be “contagious.”

“You can’t go a week being on this campus without hearing about Dance Marathon,” Franks said.

She said she thinks there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing what all the organization’s hard work goes towards.

“There is no way you don’t want to be apart of it once you see how contagious it is,” Franks said.