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Iowa State Dance Marathon

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Marcus Fizer

Miami Triad

Board of Regents, State of Iowa

Iowa State Dance Marathon


Iowa State Dance Marathon, sometimes referred to as Iowa State University Dance Marathon or simply "DM", is a philanthropic organization at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa that was first chartered in 1998. It is the largest philanthropy on campus and has raised approximately $1,150,000 through the end of the 2007-2008 school year. Iowa State Dance Marathon, the organization, works around the year to support an annual Dance Marathon event which consistents of hundreds of participants staying on their feet for an extended period of time. Funds raised through participant donations, special events, or contributed by the community support the Children's Miracle Network and it's member hospital for Iowa, The University of Iowa Children's Hospital, formerly the Children's Hospital of Iowa.

History
The inaugural Iowa State Dance Marathon event was held in March of 1998. It was organized by a small committee, initially chaired solely by an Iowa State student, Dawn Wade. Wade, looking for assistance in this great task, sought assistant from another student, Andrew Peterson. Wade and Peterson had worked together previously as co-chairpersons for the VEISHEA Parades committee.

That event was in conjunction with Greek Week, one of the four annual competitions in the Greek Community. The Greek Week Central Committee supported the idea of Iowa State Dance Marathon and offered points to any fraternity and sorority who was willing to field a team for the event. This ensured good participation and the critical mass needed to transform the philanthropy from a singular event to annual tradition.

The second annual event was held the next Spring. Following that event, the Dance Marathon committee gathered to discuss the event's timing. It was decided that the event should be moved to the Winter months and the next event was scheduled for December, a mere nine months later. The event has been held in the Winter each following school year. Following the 2002 event, the committee elected to push the event from the end of the Fall semester to the beginning of Spring semester the next school year. This resulted in no event held during calendar year 2003.

Iowa State Dance Marathon routinely plays host to interested parties visiting from other nearby schools, such as the University of Iowa, Morningside College and Drake University, that are either currently putting on their own Dance Marathon event or exploring the potential to do so in the future.

Mission Statement
We are Students, working with the Iowa community, reaching out to promote awareness of the Children’s Miracle Network and the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. United as a family, we create an experience that touches the lives of children and families of Iowa. The purpose of Dance Marathon is to raise money to support the Children’s Miracle Network and the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

Themes and Symbols
The first Iowa State Dance Marathon used the theme "Kickin' It for the Kids". That theme, or its variation "Kick it for the Kids", has become the organization's slogan and default theme going forward. In addition, some Iowa State Dance Marathon executive committees have chosen themes for their specific annual Dance Marathon event.



The logo for Iowa State Dance Marathon is known as "The Kicker" and has been used in some form each year of the event. The original Kicker logo was designed for the inaugural event (see version 1998). This logo was designed by the sister of Andrew Peterson, one of the Executive Co-Directors for the original event. In some years, The Kicker has been incorporated into a logo designed for a specific event (see version 2002).

Dance Marathon Event
The event kicks off at 9:00 AM, when the Angel Candle is lit in remembrance of children who have lost the fight with a terminal illness. The Angel Candle burns throughout the event. Since 2002, the candle lighting event has begun with a Torch Run. However, the day's preperations kick off as soon as the organizational committee can access the room.

Morale

Dancers and families are entertained throughout the day with performances from groups on campus like the ISU Pom Squad, physical games such as ping pong, mini-golf, foosball and a climbing wall, and the latest video games. Additional entertainment is provided by local and regional bands such as The Nadas.

Kids

The event ends at Midnight with a ceremony to reveal the total funds raised through the year and an inspirational video recapping the events of that day. .

Honors
Dance Marathon 2000 recieved the State of Iowa Governor's Volunteer Award, presented by Lt. Governor Sally Pederson in a ceremony at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa.

Dance Marathon 2004 recieved a note of appreciation from the Board of Regents, State of Iowa for contributions to the Children's Miracle Network

Organization
The Dance Marathon organization varies in size each year and consistents of students, faculty, and alumni in various capacities. In addition to raising funds, these participants give of themselves and their time for as little as a single day to as much as an entire year to keep the organization going in accordance with it's mission.

Dancers

Executive Committee

Sub-Committees

Morale Captains

Spirit Dancers

Special Events
Each year the Iowa State Dance Marathon committee organizes various special events for the purposes of fundraising, awareness, dancer recruitment, or community building. These events are typically planned and organized by the Special Events Committee.

Mini-Marathons

Several central Iowa K-12 schools, such as Ames High School and Colo-Nesco High School, organize Mini-Marathon events to raise funds that get passed through to Iowa State Dance Marathon. The schools put on the event themselves with assistance from the Iowa State Dance Marathon committee.

Kick-Off Concerts

In some years, the Special Events committee has organized a Kick-Off Concert early in the Fall semester preceding the event. The concerts are often held in the Maintenance Shop Bar in the Iowa State Memorial Union. Performers have included Hello Dave, Dazy Head Mazy, Dan Canny and Charlie Oberg.

Duck Race

One popular fundraising special event is the Duck Race, where committee members sell individually numbered plastic ducks to the Iowa State community in the style of a raffle. Buyers report to the bridge over College Creek east of the Iowa State Memorial Union on the day of the race to enter their duck for a chance to win the prize. The ducks are gathered and dropped simultaneously into the creek with the first to float down river to a specific location declared the winner.

Families

 * 1) of benefited families, range, etc

Family events -VEISHEA parage and Iowa Cubs game

quilt.

Miracle Kids

Beneficiaries
Proceeds raised by Iowa State Dance Marathon are presented to the Children's Miracle Network and it's local hospital, the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. The majority of funds go to projects that improve the experience of children and their families during that hospital stay, such as the 2005 gift to sponsor the playroom in the renovated patient care unit.

Gas card - 2006

Relationship with Other Campus Organizations
Greek Community

While Iowa State Dance Marathon, as an event and an organization, enjoys broad participation from all aspects of the Iowa State community, the Greek Community has embraced it wholeheartedly. Many fraternities and sororities field teams of dancers, many members volunteer for the event, and many others serve on the organizational committee.

Greek Week

As a means to ensure a successful launch of the philanthropy, the 1998 event was held in concert with Greek Week 1998. The latter organization's Central Committee encouraged chapters to participate and awarded points to those that did as part of the Greek Week competition.

Phi Delta Theta

The Iowa Gamma chapter of Phi Delta Theta has made a demonstrable commitment to Iowa State Dance Marathon over the life of the organization. The chapter generally participates with a large team and members serve in several positions throughout the organizational committee. Through 2009, in ten of the twelve annual events one of the Executive Co-Directors has been a member of Phi Delta Theta.

Categories
Iowa State University

Philanthropies

Ames, Iowa

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