On March 4th, TCNJ had its third annual dance marathon event, TCNJam. TCNJam celebrates the year long fundraising efforts for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation that helps raise money for families with children suffering from pediatric cancer. This year’s goal was to raise $75,000 and we were able to raise over $20,000 more than our goal!
The day was filled with several activities such as a Photo Booth, Silent Disco, and even a Mechanical Bull. Some students volunteered as dancers to nonstop move for the 8-hour event. As a dancer myself, I had a lot of fun supporting this amazing cause while having a good time. I think this event does a great job of shedding some light on such a hard topic. The last hour was especially filled with a rave style dance that got everyone excited for the big amount reveal.
The peak of the day was definitely dancing and singing with our own B+ heroes. Some organizations on campus sponsor specific children and make them their own brother or sister. The TCNJ heroes that came were Gracie, Shawna, and Marisa. We even had heroes, Marco and Lilly, come from the University of Delaware.
When I talked to Loriana Attanasio, an Executive Board member for TCNJam she said, “TCNJam is so special and I am so proud to be a part of it! It brings the TCNJ community together and allows students to meet and dance with some of the B+ heroes and their families who have or are currently fighting the battles brought upon by childhood cancer. The overall experience and the feeling of being able to help these families financially and emotionally is something I’ll never forget!”
This year’s total was $95,714.60. With this much money the B + Foundation will be able to help about 100 families pay for medical bills, transportation, and to help fund research projects.
A huge thanks you to everyone who participated and donated for this amazing organization. This event really shows the character and love we have as students of TCNJ and we are excited for this event in the years to come!
TCNJam was SAF funded.
Image credit: Madison Storcella