Terp Thon held its annual 12-hour Dance Marathon in the University of Maryland Armory on Saturday, March 11 to raise money for the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Terp Thon has been raising money for the hospital since the beginning of the school year, but the Dance Marathon is their largest event. Children’s National Hospital provides care for over 200,000 children each year from across the country and around the world. It is ranked as one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation, and has the top rated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the country. Terp Thon helps raise money to cover a multitude of expenses within the hospital and also to provide services for the children being treated and their families.
Opening Ceremonies began at noon with speeches from Executive Director Christina Pace and Hospital Advisor Kelly McCready. Then, Family Relations Chair Lucy Hess introduced the crowd to the Miracle Kids in attendance. Miracle Kids are past or present patients at Children’s, and it is the first time that these children have been able to attend the Dance Marathon since before COVID. Throughout the day, each Miracle Kid and their family had the opportunity to get up on stage and share their inspiring story.
Many activities and performances took place on the main stage throughout the entire Dance Marathon. Volunteers participated in Dare to Cut Your Hair, a silent auction, and even a breadstick eating contest. Additionally, student organizations such as Generics and Kol Sasson had the opportunity to perform. And, every hour, the Morale Team taught participants the famous Morale dance, which kept everyone up on their feet.
Off of the main stage, there were still many things to do around the Armory. Participants could enter the Inspiration Station and make beaded bracelets or write letters to the Miracle Kids. There also was a merch and incentives table, where people could buy Terp Thon merch or earn gifts like a fanny pack and tee shirt for reaching certain fundraising milestones. Finally, games like freeze tag, Coke and Pepsi and Taylor Swift name that tune kept all of the participants entertained.
In the final few hours, the crowd turned their attention to the stage for the Miracle Kid Talent Show, followed by a big dance party during Power Hour. Finally, it was time for the closing ceremony. The top fundraising individuals, student organizations, sororities and fraternities were honored on stage. Then, everyone watched a recap video of the entire day.
Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived: the reveal of how much money Terp Thon raised in the 2022-23 year. The executive board lined up on stage and held up signs one by one to reveal the grand total. In all, Terp Thon raised a total of $251,137.93, and all of this money will be donated to the amazing children and families at Children’s National.