2009 CMN Dance Marathon
In 2009, student committees from University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University. Kennesaw State University and Spelman and Morehouse Colleges will be planning and implementing Dance Marathons to raise money for Children's.
The hard work of the students participating in the 13th Annual University of Georgia Dance Marathon was evident this past February--$321,390 was raised for the Rehabilitation and Orthopaedics departments at Children's. Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, came to UGA in September to help kick off the fundraising for the UGA Dance Marathon. Other fundraising events such as longest put contest, date auction, the Tour of Homes in December and a benefit concert contributed to their overall total. A big thank you to all who are involved in the program, and good luck for Dance Marathon 2009!
The University of Georgia Dance Marathon is excited to announce it has officially changed its name to ugaMiracle. The 2009 student executive board wanted to create a name that better encompasses the mission of the organization as a whole, and they felt the name "Dance Marathon" put too much focus on one end event in February when the organization is actively working hard 12 months out of the year. ugaMiracle will continue to host a 24-hour celebratory Dance Marathon in February, along with many of the same events throughout the fall.
March 22nd, 2008 was a great day on Emory University’s campus. This year, participants and organizations came together for entertainment, games and dancing, all while raising money to make miracles happen at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. They raised $16,547!! Plus, what would a Dance Marathon be without the morale dance!? This is where the participants learn a choreographed dance to a mix of popular songs and then showcase it at the end. Since their start in 2002, Emory’s Miracle Marathon has raised close to $150, 000 for Children’s! Thank you, Emory for keeping the Miracle Marathon tradition alive on your campus!
In its fifth year, Dance Marathon at Georgia Tech continued to raise awareness and funds for the patients at Children's. Eache year their participation has grown as well as their dollars. On Feb. 9, more than 200 people came to see what was so special about this campus event. They quickly realized that just by being there, they were making a difference in the lives of sick and injured children at Children's. Several patient families shared their heartfelt stories with the college students an gave them a glimpse into the life of a child being treated at Children's. This, in turn, made a great impact on the students and gave them the energy they needed to stay on their feet and dance into the night. At the end of the night, the steering committee announced the grand total of funds raised through Dance Marathon at Georgia Tech. They raised $34,565 for the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIRU) at Children's. This $15,000 more than last year. Great job, GT!
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the first Spel-House Dance Marathon this past April! Thanks to the hard work of Morehouse College and Spelman University students, the group raised more than $2,000 for Children's at Hughes Spalding. The students held various fundraising events on campus before the marathon such as selling miracle balloons and canning at Morehouse College basketball games. The marathon itself was filled with great events like hul-hoop contests, a hot chili peper eating race, learning the morale dance and visits from miracle families and the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders! Visit www.kidsmiracles.org/spelhousedm for more information about Spel-House Dance Marathon.
2008 Dance Marathon Funding
The monies raised from the 2008 Dance Marathons at Emory, Georgia and Georgia Tech will benefit the Children’s Rehabilitation services. To support our pediatric patients, Children’s has purchased exercise equipment and a device to evaluate joint injuries for the Children’s Sports Medicine Program, as well as advanced audiology equipment for our speech and language therapists. With the generous donation from the Dance Marathons, Children’s will also acquire two new patient transportation vehicles and fund upcoming camps and reunions for our current and former rehab patients. A special thanks to all of the students who were involved in making such an impact on the lives of our children and their families.
On behalf of the patients and families of Children’s, CMN thanks the Dance Marathon committee members, their schools, and the many volunteers and sponsors for their continued dedication and contributions.