Just before 2 a.m. on Feb. 21, dancers celebrated with bursts of cheers and tears when the final amount raised for Dance Marathon was announced.
The event raised $610,086.23 for Riley Hospital, $60,000 more than the goal of $550,000. Last year, just over $500,000 was raised.
Brooke Lentz, a junior education major, is on the Dance Marathon committee. She said seeing the high results was amazing, especially because members have been working so hard to achieve their goal all year.
“I literally cannot believe what just happened,” Lentz said.
Minutes after the numbers were announced, she was still jumping and hugging her friends in disbelief.
“Miracle in Muncie is an understatement,” Lentz said. “I am literally in awe right now.”
Lizzet Lares, a freshman nursing major, said the night was unlike any she could have ever imagined.
“I’m so proud and excited about the final result,” Lares said. “This is such an incredible experience. I’m so exited.”
Freshman nursing major Lauren Mohr said standing for 12 hours was the hardest part, but that it was worth it.
“My legs are done, but my heart is so overjoyed,” Mohr said.”It reminded me why I want to be a nurse and help more kids like the ones I met today.”
Max Johnson, Dance Marathon vice president of external affairs, said there were close to 1,300 dancers, but an official number has yet to be released.
Johnson said while he had an idea about what the final number would be, he was still surprised by the end result.
“I teared up at the end of it all,” Johnson said. “There were ups and downs during the night and it was really hot, but I think this was overall a great dance marathon.”
He said the next dance marathon is just 365 days away, and the mission of organization continues year-round.
“It doesn’t end tonight,” Johnson said. “But for the last 12 hours, this was a fantastic turnout.”
Tyler Barton, a sophomore finance major, said the best part for him was knowing that all the money raised is going to deserving children and families.
“This has been a beautiful experience,” Barton said. “Breaking the goal by this much is unbelievable, and knowing that all of this money goes to a really great and important cause makes it even more special.”