User:ProfessorLlama/Dance Bear-a-Thon

Dance Bear-a-Thon is the official organization at Missouri State University committed to putting on an annual Dance Marathon event meant to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network. It was founded on April 8, 2007, and it held its first event, titled “Bear Hug a Kid!” from Friday, September 21, 2007 until Saturday, September 22, 2007. Each event is held in McDonald Arena and endures for twelve hours, during which the participants may not sit down at any time. The proceeds benefit children in the Ozark region and are distributed by Children’s Miracle Network. The current directors are students Andrew Keaster and Joshua Snowden.

History
In October of 2006, two representatives from Children’s Miracle Network of the Ozarks, Executive Director Heather Fesperman and Director of Children’s Services Crystal Conway, approached then freshmen Andrew Keaster and Joshua Snowden at a Circle K meeting about the organization mounting a Dance Marathon event. However, Circle K found that such an event would be of too great a magnitude to be a side-event, so Keaster and Snowden agreed to spearhead Dance Marathon alone. Together, they gathered their friends and formed an official organization, which was ratified to existence as MSU Dance Marathon by the Office of Student Activities in March of 2007, with the official founding date being April 8, 2007. The constitution and bylaws were written by Melissa Ohlfest, and the faculty sponsor was admissions counselor Danielle Smith.

The first event, “Bear Hug a Kid”, was mounted from Friday, September 21, 2007 until Saturday, September 22, 2007 and was a huge success, raising $16,700 and having in attendance 225-250 dancers. The following January, work began for the organization to prepare for that September’s event, “Party with a Purpose”. Official committees were formed, with their heads comprising an executive board. Wrap-around events have since been implemented to raise awareness and money about the event, making Dance Bear-a-Thon active year-round. Currently, the organization is working to prepare their third annual event, “Miracles in Motion”, to be held from October 2 until October 3.

Mission and Vision Statements
Keaster and Snowden wrote their mission statement when preparing to request for MSU Dance Marathon to be an official organization. It is as follows:

“''Dance Bear-A-Thon is committed to establishing a relationship between Children's Miracle Network of CoxHealth and Missouri State University. This event will promote children's health and happiness through student leadership and enjoyment, increasing involvement by the University community and laying the foundation for a future tradition.''”

Keaster and Snowden also wrote a vision statement to accompany their mission statement, although Snowden notes that it is outdated, and should reflect the fact that the organization works year-round to benefit Children’s Miracle Network:

“''We envision Dance Bear-A-Thon as an empowered student organization that, for one day a year, will put on the premier community and campus-wide event. Dance Bear-A-Thon will achieve a tradition of excellence, and will be recognized for its service and commitment to Children’s Miracle Network of Cox Health.''”

The Event
The event commences in the evening of its start date and is held in the gymnasium of McDonald Arena. Dancers arrive and either verify the money they’ve raised or they contribute on site, and enter. The morale team teaches the crowd that evening’s morale dance, and then the first hour begins. At the event is of course music to dance to, but in addition there are a variety of blow-ups that provide entertainment, such as an obstacle course and a jousting arena. Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution are run throughout the night, and a table on a landing in the bleachers is where three meals are served throughout the night. A stage is on the dance floor for the morale team and various entertainers to perform on; popular entertainers include one of Missouri State’s Spanish professors, who teaches salsa dancing to the crowd; a student at Missouri State who imitates Napoleon Dynamite; the popular a capella group known as the Beartones; and a performance by interested dancers of a Broadway musical number.

The night is divided into twelve themed hours, during which there are guaranteed to be a few songs from a given music genre to be played. Theme-related contests, games, and events are also held, some of which include a limbo dance, a Harry Potter game where the dancers search for a Golden Snitch hidden in the gym, a hand jive contest, a Richard Simmons work-out session and a complex version of “Simon Says” known as “Ships and Sailors”.

Approximately an hour into the event, the local children who benefit from Children’s Miracle Network of the Ozarks come to McDonald and are greeted by the dancers. A presentation of Children’s Miracle Network and the kids is given, and the kids stay for a few hours to join the dancers in the fun. At the conclusion of the event, some of the children return for the revealing of the grand total of the money raised.

Committees
Naturally, the directors are not able to put together the event alone. A team of committee heads is formed each winter to prepare for the event the following fall and to facilitate the wrap-around events throughout the year. The committees are as follows:


 * Morale and Entertainment-This committee has essentially two separate duties. The entertainment duties include planning the entertainment at the event, including the games to be played, the performers who will appear, and the activities that will be available throughout the night.  As a morale team, the members of this committee learn a variety of dances which include the event’s overall morale dance and a themed dance for each themed hour, all with the purpose of keeping the crowd pumped at the event.


 * Dance Recruitment and Relations-This committee is responsible for recruiting potential dancers and spreading the word about Dance Bear-a-Thon through informational sessions. They also provide interested attendees with information on how to register for the event online and check them in at the door at the event itself.  This committee is also responsible for attending Missouri State University’s annual Bear Bash event each August and set up a booth alongside the other organizations to advertise for the event.


 * Hospitality-This committee, generally limited to a smaller group, is responsible for ensuring that food and drinks are served at Dance Bear-a-Thon, as well as secure giveaway prizes for the various activities at the event. This committee speaks to other organizations and local businesses to secure refreshments and prizes and is crucial to ensuring that everyone at the event is well-nourished and hydrated.


 * Wrap-Around-This committee was formed during the winter of 2008, and is responsible for facilitating and planning year-round events that raise money and awareness of the big event in the fall. This committee also ensures that MSU Dance Marathon contributes positively back to the campus and Springfield community.


 * Operations and Technology-This committee is the smallest of all committees, as it requires only a few members. The chair is required to ensure that all planning of the event and its details are kept organized, and is expected to secure technological equipment, security officers, an EMT, and facility use for the event.  They are also responsible for all paperwork and financial transactions of the organization.  To aid them, the chair may recruit at their discretion necessary help for ensuring the event runs smoothly and to maintain the facility.  As of February 2009, this committee has also taken on the responsibilities of web advertising and maintaining Dance Bear-a-Thon’s online presence.


 * Publicity-This committee’s concern is getting the word out about Dance Bear-a-Thon through any promotional means they can. This includes but is not limited to designing the logo and t-shirts for Dance Bear-a-Thon, setting up posters and flyers throughout Missouri State University’s campus, and working with Dancer Recruitment and Relations in order to present in various venues.  Publicity also works on Facebook and other popular websites to spread the word about the event and advertise what it’s about.

Wrap-Around Events
As stated above, wrap-around events are intended to help raise money for Dance Bear-a-Thon, help recruit more dancers through publicity, and ensure that MSU Dance Marathon gives back to the community. Most of these events are planned ahead of time, but some, such as the morale dance performing in one of the dining centers, may be implemented spontaneously.

One of the biggest events from years past includes mounting or aiding in the implementation of a Mini-Marathon in either the March or April preceding Dance Bear-a-Thon at a local high school. Another staple wrap-around involves members of the various committees selling a special $1 lunch in the parking lot of Dillon’s-a hot dog, a bag of chips, and a soda-to anyone passing by. These events and others have been successful in raising extra funds and generating interest in Dance Bear-a-Thon.

The Morale Team
The morale team, comprised of the members of the Morale and Entertainment committee, is responsible for keeping the crowd of dancers at Dance Bear-a-Thon excited and on their feet. Each hour, they perform a special dance, usually lasting ninety seconds to three minutes in length, to demonstrate that hour’s theme. The dances are choreographed by the Morale and Entertainment committee heads.

The morale team is recruited in the spring of each year, and begins rehearsing immediately. They are then responsible for knowing each dance so as to be able to perform one or two throughout the year at all wrap-around events. The music is a mix created by the committee heads, with clips of the appropriate genre or theme comprising it. The choreography is often inspired by the lyrics of the songs themselves. The team is more akin to a cheerleading squad than a true performance group, and the choreography of the dances is meant to reflect that.

Each year, a new morale dance is choreographed. It is taught first to the morale team, and they are responsible for revealing it to the crowd at Dance Bear-a-Thon and then teaching them the dance so it can be performed each hour on the hour. Until the new morale dance is revealed, the previous year’s morale dance is used for wrap-around performances.