Not many people know what Dance Marathon is or its impact. Dance Marathon is one of the biggest clubs that happen across our nation to raise money for the biggest children’s hospital in their state all year long. A local chapter, St. Ambrose University, has a Dance Marathon that has impacted so many lives. Pleasant Valley needs a mini Dance Marathon and there are so many reasons why.
St. Ambrose student and Dance Marathon family relations director Mara Guse, has always been a part of Dance Marathon. “Dance Marathon is a year-long fundraiser for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital,” said Guse. “SAUDM supports 43 families here in the Quad Cities that have been affected by childhood illness.”
Dance Marathons in Iowa raise their money through high school, college, and university Dance Marathons. SAU student and Dance Marathon committee member Haley Dullea puts all of her efforts and extra time into Dance Marathon and shares that it is not all about the money. “We fight alongside families and provide emotional support for everything they go through and experience,” she said.
There are multiple high schools in the Quad Cities in which host a mini Dance Marathon, including Bettendorf High School. Their fundraising efforts go towards St. Ambrose’s final total and the total is shared at the big event in March, the final day of the dm year and all dancers and committee members come together for a long day of dancing and raising money.
Dullea spoke highly of the high school mini Dance Marathons and what they mean to her. “Our local community dance marathons at St. Ambrose made up just over 18 percent of the money that we donated to the hospital,” Dullea expresses. “Without our community Dance Marathons, we wouldn’t be able to fund the Child Life Resource room in the hospital or the equipment that’s been implemented into the NICU.”
High school mini Dance Marathons contribute a lot to SAU’s grand total. Their fundraising efforts are much appreciated and valued greatly.
A lot of people believe that PV Palooza is the same thing, but it is not. PV Palooza is a one-night event that chooses a different company to fundraise for each year, whereas Dance Marathon’s fundraising efforts always go to the U of I Children’s Hospital.
In the Pleasant Valley School District alone, there are over five families who are supported by Dance Marathon and attend the U of I Children’s Hospital. Senior Parker Kress and cancer survivor was a patient at the University and is a Dance Marathon kid. “I definitely think PV needs a mini dance marathon. Dance marathon does a lot of wonderful things for the kids and with the amount of people in PV we could make a big difference.” he said.
PVHS having a Dance Marathon would be amazing for the students and would show how much support there is for families suffering from illnesses in the district.
Guse and Dullea believe that PVHS having a Dance Marathon would contribute greatly to their final total on the big day. “I think that PV needs a DM because there are so many families in the PV community that utilize the UISFCH (University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital) and could benefit from being a part of Dance Marathon,” Guse exclaimed.
Both Ambrose students have seen the impact PV can make on a family’s life and what they can do. “They’ve already proved that they can come together as a community for a greater cause, and no matter how much money they may fundraise, they provide our families with a new support system they can turn to and rely on.” Dullea said.
Pleasant Valley needs a Dance Marathon because the school has a history of helping those in the community and that’s exactly what Dance Marathon does.
