Indiana University Dance Marathon will be held from November 10-12th in the IU Tennis Center. For 36 hours, students will stand on their feet to raise money and awareness for the kids at Riley Hospital for Children.
The philanthropic endeavor requires participants to raise a minimum of $500 prior to the event. Last year, IUDM raised $4.15 million and every penny benefited the kids at Riley Children’s Hospital.
IUDM is run by 18 committees that are responsible for making sure the event runs smoothly. Throughout the event, participants can expect testimonies given by Riley families, activities, competitions, dancing, food and a sense of community.
Students are not allowed to sit while participating in IUDM. However, they will have access to adequate amounts of food, massages and a great medical staff.
As the second largest dance marathon in the country- trailing behind Penn State University- and the largest fund raiser on campus, IUDM brings nearly 4,000 students together to honor the legacy of Ryan White.
Indiana University’s first dance marathon took place in 1991. The event was organized by Jill Stewart to honor Ryan White who lost his life to AIDS. “Starting this event is single handedly the most rewarding thing I have done and I’m honored to uphold Ryan’s legacy” said Stewart.
IUDM is right around the corner and students are working vigorously to raise as much money as possible. Students are getting creative raising money by posting on social media and canning around campus. The event’s Day of Hope took place last week and alone raised a record amount of $481,652. Everyone participating is simply so excited to take part in such a great event.