Each year, Boise State students come together for one of the university’s biggest events and a cause bigger than themselves. Dance Marathon at Boise State draws hundreds of students annually to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a nonprofit supporter of 170 pediatric hospitals with a common slogan “for the kids” (FTK).
Dance Marathon is Boise State’s largest student-led nonprofit organization. Beginning in 2012, every year Boise State students come together to raise money for the sick and injured kids being treated at St. Luke’s Children’s. Every February, students for 12 straight hours participate in a night full of dancing, games, meeting the miracle kids and so much more.
Students sign up and fundraise money for several months hoping to reach goals set for themselves and by the organization. Students participate in various fundraisers such as “20K in a Day” where the goal is to raise $20,000 for Dance Marathon in one day, as well as partnering with local restaurants to direct proceeds from meals to the cause.
This year, COVID-19 has changed the way Dance Marathon at Boise State looks. Instead of the normal in-person event, Dance Marathon will be held in a hybrid format, where participants can interact both virtually and in-person, with limitations.
“Our slogan this year is ‘Kids can’t wait’,” said Katie Phillips, a junior special education and early childhood major, who serves as the director of communication for Dance Marathon. “There is so much going on in the world right now, but it’s important to remember the kids don’t just stop getting sick. They need us now more than ever.”
In 2013, Boise State students were able to raise $5,000. In 2020, students raised $220,000, which put Dance Marathon over their intended goal of $216,000. All together, Boise State has raised $1,004,000 “for the kids.”
Despite this year looking a bit different, the Dance Marathon team still intends to have a large amount of students sign up for the event in February and students are still being encouraged to sign up for the event.
“The first step is to register. Students can do that super easily if they go to the website,” said Megan Pfohl, president of Dance Marathon at Boise State and senior psychology major. “Next would be fundraising and talking to their friends and families about what they are doing and why they are doing it. To hear and see that support means so much to the miracle families. We’re all going through one thing or another, but for these kids it’s still the same battle [they’re] fighting.”
Dance Marathon at Boise State is putting on events the week of Nov. 9 to 13. These events are intended to get more students to sign up and start fundraising. For more information, scan the QR code below or visit http://www.boisestatedm.com/.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, there will be tabling in the quad from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Interactive Learning Center (ILC) and then again at Chaffee and Sawtooth residence halls from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, is the night of hope, which will be held on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, students will compete in a fundraising competition.
“Overall, we’ve seen a lot of great campus engagement,” said David Walker, vice president of operations for Dance Marathon at Boise State and junior studying health studies. “We still are doing as much as possible. We’re getting a lot of participants signed up which is the point of push week. We’re making the best of everything. Our executive board is still as motivated as ever for these kids.”