CHAPEL HILL -- After a full year's fundraising and 24 straight hours on their feet for the kids, the UNC Dance Marathon announced Saturday evening that it raised $421,851.32 to benefit the children and families of the N.C. Children's Hospital. This total, representative of the student group's year-long fund-raising efforts, is an increase of almost $30,000 over last year and brings the organization's 12-year fundraising total to more than $2.5 million.
"Seeing the students of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill come together under the same cause of benefiting the patients and families of N.C. Children's Hospital gives me such hope in what Carolina students are capable of accomplishing," said Taylor Scott, the 2010 UNC Dance Marathon overall coordinator.
The year's fundraising total was revealed at the conclusion of this past weekend's 24-hour UNC Dance Marathon, which featured 1,600 UNC-Chapel Hill student dancers and a full schedule of performance groups, guest speakers and visits from Children's Hospital patients and their families.
Event highlights included UNC Women's Basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell's kickoff speech, setting a World Record for longest massage train, and a visit at the end of the marathon from N.C. Children's Hospital patient Keeley Simmen, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at UNC Hospitals when she was 3 years old. Keeley has shared her story at the marathon for several years during Family Hour.
The money raised this year was a result of numerous fund raising efforts by UNC students. In addition to pledging to stand on their feet for a full 24 hours, the 1,600 students who registered to dance at this year's marathon each raised at least $150. One participant raised more than $5,000 for the Children's Hospital. The money raised by the dancers was added to funds raised at various events organized by the UNC Dance Marathon committees throughout the year. These events, developed and coordinated by hundreds of committee members, included a golf tournament, benefit concerts and coin-collecting drives at UNC football and basketball games.
Funds raised by the UNC Dance Marathon support the patients and families of N.C. Children's Hospital in a number of ways.
Each year, the marathon allocates a portion of the fundraising total to its "For the Kids Fund," which provides for expenses not covered by insurance or Medicaid that families may not otherwise be able to afford.
In addition, the marathon offers several grants each year to divisions within the Department of Pediatrics at the N.C. Children's Hospital.
This year's Dance Marathon took place on campus at UNC's Fetzer Gym. It began at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and ended at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
