Dance Marathon brings in money, support
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth was the one that sat down during Saturday’s 12-hour Wichita State Dance Marathon for the Children’s Miracle Network.
This year’s motto, “we stand for the kids that can’t,” definitely hit home for Elizabeth’s team, the Fiery Blizzards: a name Elizabeth picked herself. Although she could stand to color her team’s banner and walk a few steps across the Heskett Center track, that was all she could do without sitting back on her chair.
“There are a lot of kids right now in the hospitals, that if you told them they could stand up and play for 30 minutes, they’d have a blast,” Dance Marathon director Tyler Nepote said. “But they just can’t. They can never stand up again. So we stand for the kids that can’t. We sacrifice 12 hours—and you may be tired and sore for the next day—to compare that to the challenges they go through every day.”
Via Christi Hospital approached Sigma Alpha Epsilon two years ago about hosting a dance marathon. Hundreds of schools across the U.S. raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network by taking donations and putting on 12-hour marathon events during which no one is allowed to sit.
The first marathon at WSU, held last year, raised $17,500.
With more than 200 people participating this year, they surpassed their $25,000 goal by raising $30,101.
Alpha Phi co-sponsored the event with Sigma Alpha Epsilon, with the support of the Student Activities Council, WSU Greeks, and the WSU men’s basketball team.
“I had so much fun last year, it was a great event, so I [did] it again this year,” Nepote said. “The support I received from Alpha Phi and my brothers made my job easy as director.”
All the proceeds go to Via Christi Hospital in Wichita and CMN to help pay for kids’ transportation to and from the hospital, medication and any other needs. Janis Biggs attended Saturday for the first time because of her 5-year-old son, Ethan, and his disability.
“The Children’s Miracle Network helped us out with medications last year,” she said. “We want to show some appreciation. Now he’s just full of energy.”
But the event is about more than just the money—it’s about the support. Each child and their families were introduced over a microphone as they ran through a tunnel of cheering students. On stage, the children pulled a colored bracelet out of a bag. Elizabeth was on team white, and a group of students from the audience let out a loud cheer. They would be her team for the rest of the night.
Morale captains from each team taught everyone a “morale dance” to keep them awake. The kids clapped along with the music and joined in on some of the dance moves.
Elizabeth’s favorite part, though, were the moon bounces. Other children enjoyed the basketball courts where some of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers lifted kids onto their shoulders to shoot some hoops. Other times, they taught the boys how to dribble a ball between their legs.
“What better way to spend our Saturday than with these kids?” freshman Austin Samona said. “It’s a good way to connect with them.”
“It’s about making a difference,” junior Taylor Snider said. “That’s really what it’s about.”
Team “Mac N’ Cheese Giraffe” let Sophie trace their hands onto the banner with a grey marker, while Sophie’s little brother, Seth, ran off to get a red balloon.
“I absolutely love children and these kids really need the support,” senior Van Bui said. “I love to dance and I love kids, so this is a great opportunity.”
Free meals were provided throughout the day. Prizes were raffled off, like limo and helicopter rides, massages, and Eric Church and Aerosmith concert tickets. Vendors had booths available for browsing and Channel 96.3 provided a disc jockey.
Standing for the kids that can’t was a common theme on Saturday. With such great numbers in the second year of the marathon, Nepote is anxious to see what they can come up with in coming years.
