University of North Carolina Athletics
Dance Marathon Concludes Saturday
February 22, 2002 | General
Feb. 22, 2002
y Kim Conrad, Athletic Communications Assistant
Imagine a room full of 300 energetic volunteers, live entertainment, 650 dancers who can't sit down, and 200 friends designated to give support to those incredibly worn out dancers. This 24 hours of exhaustion and excitement, characteristic of the fourth annual Dance Marathon, will culminate the year-long, largest student-run fundraiser at the University of North Carolina on February 22-23, 2002.
The Dance Marathon began four years ago as the project of men's soccer player Michael Bucy to benefit the North Carolina Children's Hospital. A state hospital, the Children's Hospital does not turn away any patient, regardless of his/her financial situation. The Dance Marathon raises money to help families who do not have the funds to pay for basic necessities when their children are in the hospital.
In 2000, the Dance Marathon set up the ?For the Kids Fund,? yielding all of its proceeds to families of patients at the N.C. Children's Hospital. Last year, money raised by the Dance Marathon paid for a set of bunk beds for brothers who had to share a couch to sleep. Electricity bills have been paid so children on respirators can spend their time at home with their families rather than being stuck in the hospital.
Many students contribute to the efforts of the Dance Marathon, not only by participating in the actual marathon but also through a vast array of fundraisers held throughout the year. Various organizations on campus team up to show their support for the community, the children and their families and the N.C. Children's Hospital. They have put on spaghetti dinners, powder puff football games and so much more. Among these volunteers are a large number of student-athletes from nearly every sport at UNC.
Involvement in the Dance Marathon requires a commitment to fellow students as well as a dedication to service. Student-athletes have all the typical student responsibilities ? classes, homework, studying ? plus the countless hours put into practice, games and training. Despite their busy schedules, many student-athletes have found time to serve the community by participating in the Dance Marathon. They have been heavily involved in canning at football and basketball games (accepting donations in cans while holding Dance Marathon posters). Many have sent letters requesting donations to the family and friends of UNC students.
Those who do not actually dance in the marathon may provide entertainment. Ten varsity teams will battle it out in an intense Athletic Lip Sync competition on Friday night.
esides participating in the fundraisers and actual dance marathon, student-athletes, as well as other students, have become involved by attending socials with the families and children from the N.C. Children's Hospital who need assistance. They get to know the people they are working so hard to help and become involved on a more personal level.
Gymnast Natalie Halbach, coordinator for the Dance Marathon says, "It's not just a fundraiser, it's also personal," summing up the reason why so many student-athletes offer their limited time to support the Dance Marathon efforts. They do it to give back to the community that has so generously supported them in all of their endeavors. They do it for the innocent children and the helpless families. By donating a couple of hours a week, by holding up signs at football games, by tediously addressing envelopes, by dancing until they can't possibly stand up a minute longer, by supporting their friends and fellow students, Carolina's student-athletes have demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate their persistent dedication to service, giving back a little of what they have gained through the committed support of the nearby community.
?We are very proud of the association our student-athletes have with the Dance Marathon,? says Director of Athletics Dick Baddour. ?I can not think of a better way for our student-athletes to give back to the community than through the Children's Hospital. Service to the state is a basic tenet of the University of North Carolina's mission and there can be no better example of this than by helping children in need. The Dance Marathon is important to our student-athletes. It is an event many of them look forward to as much as competing. That says a lot about the impact they know it has on the lives of young girls and boys across our state.?
