In 1994 a group of motivated University of Iowa students and staff at the Children's Miracle Network joined forces to create a Dance Marathon to benefit University of Iowa Children's Hospital pediatric patients with cancer, and their families. That was 12 years and more than $5 million in donations ago. This year's Dance Marathon is coming up soon. Lisa Baum, director of Children's Miracle Network with UI Children's Hospital, talks about Dance Marathon:
When is the UI Dance Marathon this year?
Activities at the Iowa Memorial Union will begin at 7 p.m. on February 1 and will end 24 hours later. That's just 22 days away and these students are ready to go. They are doing a lot of work. They have a lot of money in the bank so far, and they really want to reach their goal of $1 million.
How does Dance Marathon raise money for UI Children's Hospital?
Each of the dancers is asked to raise $425. That's a $25 registration fee and then $400 in gifts on top of that. That allows them to get onto the dance floor and sweat it out for 24 hours. They really don't have to do much except that. When they come, they have 24 hours of entertainment and music. There are skits, they mingle with families who have cancer, and they come away feeling incredibly exhausted but at the same time, exhilarated because they know they've done something wonderful.
How many student dancers participate in this event?
We're expecting around 1,000 dancers this year. We have 1,600 registered dancers, and we hope to have everybody come. Some of them won't make their mark, and if they don't—their dollars are still going into the fund, they just won't be able to dance.
How many volunteers are needed to keep the event running smoothly?
We will probably use 400 volunteers that weekend. That's everything from folks that are involved in all of the different committees that are there. Also, security, food, dancer check-in. Lots and lots of people involved and we have a lot of employees from the hospital, as well as community people, who are coming to help with the various volunteer services.
I understand pediatric cancer patients and their families also play a role in the Dance Marathon. What is their role? How many families participate?
We're expecting around 600 family members this year. And this year we have some special things going on for families.
As usual we have—at the Memorial Union—kind of a lock down where families can just be very safe and interact with the college students. The kids that are staying at the Iowa House, for instance, and those families—they can roam around and have a great time for the 24 hours. We're going to have a special luncheon sponsored by Chick-fil-A® this year. It's called the Dancing in Our Hearts Luncheon and it is for families who have lost a family member. There will be opportunities for families with patients who are undergoing treatment or who are recently out of the woods. They'll be involved in all of the dance activities on the floor.
I think the thing that motivates these dancers to stay enthused and roll through this 24 hours, because it can be physically very demanding, is to have the interaction with the families. And once an hour the dancers listen to families tell their stories about how they came to University of Iowa Children's Hospital and what has happened to their family through their cancer treatment.
How much money was raised by the student last year? What is the goal this year?
They raised around $880,000 and felt that they wanted to make this year's goal $1 million. We are, of course, very pleased with all of the funds that they raise because it makes such a difference to our families here at the hospital.
Where does the money that is raised go?
Well, for one thing, if you just look at families who have kids with cancer. The future of these families is in peril because it's a catastrophic illness and it affects the finances of the family. Dance Marathon is giving scholarships to The University of Iowa. They're partial scholarships, but they are scholarships to the pediatric oncology patients who want to go to the University.
We also take care of families while they're in the hospital and we have various programs, from a continental breakfast every Friday, to free massage for families and patients. We have a wonderful Child Life Program here and the students come in and actually help with the Child Life specialists in providing care for kids on weekends, evenings, that kind of thing.
We also are happy to provide our Bereavement Service. We're actually funding one staff member this year who is a bereavement coordinator. She's a nurse and she handles a lot of very sensitive things. At the time of death, she can help coordinate lots of things for the family as well as be present for them as they move through that process. We're also paying $1,000 to each family that loses a child to help with funeral expenses—that little bit of help with that funeral or a headstone is a very wonderful thing. We're also paying any additional hospital bill for a deceased patient. I think the last thing a family wants to see after losing their child, is to see one more bill come through. Dance Marathon has been able to help with up to $7,000 for some families, and so we're very grateful for that kind of a system.
How can everyone—even if they are not a dancer—participate in the Dance Marathon?
The easiest way that they can support this is to go to the Web and just go to www.dancemarathon.org and hit that Donate Now button. Or they can certainly call the Children's Miracle Network at 319-335-8484 and we would be happy to take your donation over the phone, as well. |
