Unless you’ve written a grant for the Cardinals, been a top fundraiser at WashU, and punched a shark all in the past six months, you’re probably not as awesome as Leah Wintrub ‘14. Usually spotted sporting a WUSA headband and always spotted sporting a smile, Leah comes off as an invincible ball of energy. Her Campus was lucky enough to sit her down and chat with her about her next big project, Dance Marathon.
Name: Leah Weintrub
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Major: Biology (Pre-med)
Year: 2014
Campus Involvement: WUSA (Ruby 3), Dance Marathon Executive Board, PLTL Leader, sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma
Her Campus: How was your summer?
Leah: Good, I did research at the Virgin Islands, scuba dived and snorkeled a lot. Oh, and I punched a shark.
HC: Whoa, how was it?
Leah: Bad-ass.
HC: I can imagine. So how did you get interested in Dance Marathon (DM)?
Leah: My RA was on DM exec last year, and one day he told me I had to be our floor’s moral captain. So I set up team on my floor and I met a lot of people through it. It was the first thing I was involved in on campus, BLESS YOU (HC sneezed), so I got really into it and wanted to raise lots of money.
HC: So did you raise a lot of money?
Leah: Yes, I set it up as a donation project at my high school, and received over $2500 in donations, and became the top fundraiser.
HC: That’s awesome. And what is your position in DM this year?
Leah: I’m the corporate relations co-chair.
HC: What does that mean?
Leah: My other co-chair Kurt Rohrbeck and I contact corporations and big companies for donations. We also write grants.
HC: So you’re kind of a big deal.
Leah: Definitely.
HC: Which corporations have you talked to?
Leah: We’ve received donations from Southwest Airlines, and wrote grants for Macys, Target, Costco, the Cardinals, the Rams, and many others.
HC: So how do you address these important people?
Leah: You have to be really professional, and act like you’re an adult, not a student. You also have to be really formal when you write grants, and include letterheads and corporate packets.
HC: Let’s say I’m a CEO. What would you say to me?
Leah: Let me give you the DM elevator speech, the one I’m supposed to give if I were to be stuck in an elevator with someone important. Hi, My name is Leah. I work on the executive board for St. Louis Area Dance Marathon, a yearlong fundraiser that benefits Miracle Children of greater St. Louis. We’d love to potentially work with your company for sponsorship of our event, as all the money raised goes to our two local children’s hospitals.
HC: That sounded very well rehearsed.
Leah: Yeah, I write it a million times a day.
HC: I see. And who are Miracle Children?
Leah: They are the children treated at the hospitals. They come with their parents to DM too! One even crowd-surfed last year.
HC: Whoa. So how can we participate in Dance Marathon?
Leah: You can pledge to dance for 12 straight hours. It’s kind of a big party and celebration of the work done throughout the year to raise money.
HC: And how much money did DM raise last year?
Leah: $175,000.
HC: But isn’t it hard dancing for 12 straight hours?
Leah: It is hard, but it’s worth it. You get tired but the energy and the miracle children around you keep you going.
HC: Sounds like fun. Do you practice for DM on the weekends at fraternity houses?
Leah: Yes, that’s where I work on my corporate relations skills. I have never made it 12 hours dancing at a fraternity house, but I do pick up some great moves for DM there.
HC: Awesome. So other than fraternity brothers, if you could dance with anyone in the world dead or alive, fictional or real, who would it be and why?
Leah: That’s easy- Justin Bieber. Only because I already danced with Chancellor Wrighton at last year’s DM.
HC: Chancellor Wrighton! Was it magical?
Leah: Yes, and there’s a picture to prove it.
HC: And are you a Belieber?
Leah: I’m a Belieber. The two things I want to see most at this year’s DM are a lot of Justin Bieber’s music and a lot of booty drops. Booty drops aren’t only for Kappa Karaoke, it’s for DM as well. But these Booty Drops are for the children.
HC: Explain further. You booty drop for the kids?
Leah: Yes.
HC: ……Okay. And when is Dance Marathon?
Leah: November 5th, from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Athletics Complex. And you can register at www.dmstl.org.
HC: Any funny story from last year’s DM?
Leah: So students from Fontbonne show up, and they perform choreography to NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and Michael Jackson. And I photobombed all of them; the Fontbonne Team was actually extremely good looking.
HC: Really? No Bieber, though?
Leah: No Bieber last year. But got my fingers crossed for this year!