By Jackie Graf
Dance Marathon is a fundraiser benefitting Riley Children’s Hospital that was started at Indiana University in 1991, and has since spread widely. Today, more than 60 high-schools and colleges in Indiana put on their own Dance Marathon’s each year! Campus Celebrity, Tom Johnson, is a co-founder of Dance Marathon at DePauw, who is passionate about the cause and dedicated to raising awareness and funds for research for Riley Children’s Hospital.
Her campus: So tell us a little bit about what dance marathon is?
Tom Johnson: dance marathon is a fundraiser for children’s miracle network, and in particular, Riley Children’s Hospital. It’s a six-hour event held on November 22 from 12-6 at the indoor track and field center. The idea behind it is that you stand on your feet for the kids who can’t. It’s not just standing and dancing, you don’t need dance experience. I’m probably the worst dancer out of everyone on exec. It’s all for a good cause and making a fool out of yourself is half the fun!
HC: How many years have you been participating in dance marathon and how did you first get involved?
TJ: I helped start on at my high school my senior year, so about three years total. My brother was really involved in IUDM, which is massive, and they routinely raise millions of dollars for Riley, and my sister was heavily involved in her high schools dance marathon. They kept telling me I had to do it and where I went to school it wasn’t an option so I had to start one, which is actually very similar to the situation at DePauw.
HC: How did you go about starting dance marathon here at DePauw?
TJ: Actually, I didn’t really know what I was doing and the other founder, Abby Snively, taught Carmel’s line dance for our high school marathon, which was how we met. I saw her in the hub and without ever talking to her before I went up to her and asked if she wanted to start a dance marathon here, and she was immediately receptive to the idea. It was really hard to put together because getting an event set up so last minute and planned, and getting people to know about it was really difficult.
HC: What kinds of activities go on at Dance Marathon?
TJ: so we have the big one, the line dance, which is a little over six minutes. It’s a choreographed dance led by the members of the Morale committee, and it’s a lot of songs mixed together. They spend the day learning the dance, and then we perform it as a group at the end. And then families from Riley will come and share their stories and how Riley has shaped their lives. There will be competitions between groups in the event, minute to win it games with prizes, there will be a band performing, and we might have Company Unspoken, a dance group, come and perform.
HC: What’s your favorite part of dance marathon?
TJ: The reveal at the end! As an exec team we all hold up one number per person, and its revealed how much money we raised throughout the event. Knowing what it’s going towards, which in our case is research, and being able to see the Riley kids who are now able to live their lives because of the money raised by Dance Marathon. The big thing is for DPU is that we can make an effect outside of Greencastle and really change people’s lives.
HC: How would you suggest people get involved?
TJ: I would say to come out to the event. The six hours goes by so fast. I’ve had guys come up to me kind of unsure, and they’ll come up to me after the event and say how much fun they had.
HC: How much money did dance marathon raise last year?
TJ: Last year we raised over $13,500, which was in the top 5 for first-year marathons in Indiana. This year our goal is to raise $20,000. We’re over halfway there but are still pushing for more!
HC: Where does the money raised at DM funnel towards?
TJ: There are a lot of branches within Riley, but for DePauw we focus on research. One of our exec members had her sister go through intense treatments in Riley, in and out of the hospital, and she said she doesn’t want anyone else have to feel that way. Our money goes towards trying to let every kid be a kid.