As many people have noticed the University of Iowa is full of supporters for Dance Marathon (which is less than 100 days out from the big event!), one of them being Evan Chidley. Evan is a junior at Iowa and a proud Moral Captain in Dance Marathon 2016. Evan is involved in so much all over campus it is amazing that she can devote so much of her time to this amazing cause, but to her it’s not work, but rather a rewarding experience.
How long have you participated in Dance Marathon and what motivated you to start?
This year is my third Big Event. I started as a freshman because my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, convinced me to check it out. I really didn’t know what to expect.
What leadership position do you hold, and how has it affected your experience so far this year?
Last year I was a Morale Captain Assistant, and this year I am a Morale Captain. It’s been such a good experience so far, I can’t even express it. I get to be involved in an organization that means so much to me, and I’ve made so many good friends along the way. I love being surrounded by people that also care about what I care about.
How do you motivate people to get involved in Dance Marathon?
Talking to people in classes, convincing friends to participate, and going around the first floor of my sorority convincing everyone that was up studying to join dance marathon. (It was a successful night!)
What has been your most moving experience throughout Dance Marathon?
I have had a lot of really cool experiences: playing with kiddos in the hospital and being a representative for a family, which is awesome. But last year when the total board went up was such an amazing experience for me. Happy tears are reserved for a few select moments in life, and that was one of them. It’s great to know that we all had a part in making that happen.
You participated in the Chicago Marathon for Dance Marathon earlier this year. What did you gain from that experience?
It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Doing it as a part of Dance Marathon with all these people you don’t know cheering you on, it’s so motivating. We had a mile motivator, which was a kiddo that we ran each mile for. When I got to mile 23, a family saw me hurting and cheered “Do it for Flash!” which was really motivating. It’s a great sense of accomplishment, and I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for Dance Marathon.
We just passed the marker for 100 days out until the big event. What are some ways you help to keep your dancers and yourself motivated to reach your goal in this crunch time?
I just like to remind them what they are doing it for. It is not a lot of money to fundraise, and when you start to raise money it feels really good. A great motivator is sharing stories from our families we work with. They always motivate our dancers to keep working hard.
Dancing for 24 hours without sitting down, no caffeine, and keeping a positive attitude are some challenging obstacles to overcome during Dance Marathon. What tips do you have to make the big event a success?
Have fun! Listening to the family speakers, dancing with the kiddos, making new friends can make it such a rewarding experience. It’s not easy, but you still don’t have cancer, so it’s easier than whatever our kids have to go through.
What are some ways that students can get involved within Dance Marathon?
There are tons! I suggest applying for leadership because it’s been one of the best experiences in my life. Become a family rep, go to family events; there are so many options to become involved.
You are involved in many different activities from your sorority, work and also school, along with dance marathon. How do you manage to devote so much time and effort towards DM?
I pretend like I don’t have other responsibilities (haha). You make time for what is important to you. I probably get less sleep than I should, but it’s college.
How do you plan to reach your goal this year for Dance Marathon?
I have many goals. My fundraising goal though, I have a lot of support from family and friends. I am always thinking of new ways to work towards my goal. I am confident I will reach my goal this year (and hopefully go beyond!).
What are some Dance Marathon activities coming up that students can get involved in on campus?
In December there is a 100-dollar day, where you try to raise 100 dollars in one day. It’s been successful at other schools. And it’s really cool to show how easy it is to raise money towards dance marathon.
You’ve mentioned before a certain type of beanie that you can purchase where the proceeds benefit pediatric cancer patients. Would you like to explain more about that?
They’re Love Your Melon beanies! Anytime you buy one, they give one to a kid with cancer. When I was volunteering at the cancer in-patient unit, some Love Your Melon representatives came in and started giving out hats to the kiddos. It was really great to see the smiles on their faces.
Working for and with the kiddos is an especially moving experience, as these kids are dealing with very grown up problems. How has this experience affected you and your career in Dance Marathon?
I’ve gotten to experience time with the families. Sometimes it’s hard to recruit people for dance marathon because they don’t understand how important each person working towards dance marathon is. I’ve never met so many people that are so positive in such hard situations. It really puts into perspective how important that grade is you got on your test last week.
What do you hope that participants in dance marathon walk away from the experience with?
I really want all of our dancers and everyone involved to know that they did something important, something that helped other people. Without them we wouldn’t be as successful. We raised $2 million dollars because of all of their work. I want them to understand the impact that they’ve had.
What do you hope to gain through your experience in DM 22?
I have already gained so much from this organization. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for all of us.