More than 200 UWM students, faculty and staff committed to staying on their feet for six hours on Saturday, Nov. 14, participating in UWM\u2019s inaugural Panther Miracle Network Dance Marathon.<\/p>\n
Dance Marathon is a nationwide movement. Nearly 500 colleges, universities and high schools danced through the night to raise money for Children\u2019s Miracle Network Hospitals. Saturday\u2019s Panther Miracle Network Dance Marathon raised $9,393.50. The money raised will help hospitals that cater to children purchase vital equipment ranging from new MRI machines to video-game systems, and also funds pediatric medical research and promotes awareness of children\u2019s health issues.<\/p>\n
For the Nov. 14 event, many UWM students stepped into planning and leadership roles in order to make the event happen. They split off into teams dealing with logistics, morale, family, fundraising, recruitment and public relations \u2013 each a key aspect of the overall event.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy favorite part of organizing this event is everyone\u2019s eagerness to participate,\u201d said Rebecca Woit, a UWM junior who co-chaired the logistics and entertainment committees. \u201cWhenever we asked groups to perform, they really jumped at the opportunity, because this is such a great cause.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy favorite part was seeing it all come to life,\u201d said Margaret Lessor, a sophomore who co-chaired the two committees with Woit. \u201cWhen I first walked into the room the morning of the event, it was like Christmas morning and all of our hard work had been worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The night began with a \u201cmorale dance,\u201d which played at the top of every hour to boost the spirits of everyone participating and keep the energy level high. Theme hours broke up the long night of dancing, 4-10 p.m. Participants dressed as superheroes at the beginning, Disney characters during the middle hours and a neon\/80s theme closed out the night.<\/p>\n
Dance Marathon was not just a night of dancing. Many UWM performance groups were featured, like Panther Swing, Hype dance team and Well Mannered Men. Games and activities included a hula-hoop contest, face painting and button making.<\/p>\n
\u201cChamp families,\u201d those who have been positively affected by Children\u2019s Miracle Network Hospitals, were introduced periodically throughout the night. \u201cFor the kids\u201d is the mission statement of the nationwide event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s such power in knowing that the money you\u2019re so tirelessly raising is making a real difference in the lives of children and families,\u201d Lessor said. \u201cNo one should have to fight alone, and Dance Marathon seemed like a perfect opportunity to share in the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n
Planning for the Panther Miracle Network Dance Marathon 2016 will begin soon. Students are encouraged to become a part of the planning process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided to do Dance Marathon because I know a lot of friends that participate all over the country and I wanted to be a part of starting the tradition here at UWM,\u201d Woit said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Students, faculty and staff participated in Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for Children\u2019s Miracle Network Hospitals that raised nearly $10,000 in its first year at UWM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":487,"featured_media":24414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[249],"section":[122,124],"display_categories":[114],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-24399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community-engagement","section-campus-community","section-students","display_categories-top-story-primary"],"yoast_head":"\n