If you have ever been to the First Look Fair on the Mall at the beginning of each semester, you will see that there are dance teams as well as clubs that fundraise for charities. But there is only one organization at Maryland that combines dancing and philanthropy: Terp Thon.
Terp Thon is an organization that fundraises throughout the year for Children’s National Medical Center, a hospital based in Washington D.C. that provides care for children with life-threatening illnesses. Each spring, a 12-hour dance marathon event is held to celebrate the total amount of money raised. Why 12 hours? The length of the event honors the nurses at Children’s National Medical Center, who work 12-hour shifts at the hospital.
On the day of the event, there is music, food, games, and, of course, plenty of dancing. Junior physiology and neurobiology major Michele Bastani, who is the advertising chair of Terp Thon, said that she first became involved in the group last year when she heard about it at the First Look Fair. She thought that the idea of a dance marathon seemed exciting. “I love how you are having fun and doing it with people who also have a passion [for the event],” Bastani said. “It’s all meaningful at the end of the day.”
The organization began in 2009, when two student founders Matt Young and Bri Russo met up with a faculty advisor to discuss plans for a dance marathon event at Maryland. According to junior communication major Melanie Modula, who is the executive director of the organization, the first actual dance marathon event took place in 2010.
That year, Terp Thon received the title of “Most Successful First Year Dance Marathon.” In 2011, Terp Thon was given the Miracle Maker Award by Children’s National Medical Center in recognition for the effort they put into planning the event and the amount of dancers they had.
But Terp Thon aims to outdo itself this year. Modula said that last year’s total amount of money raised was almost $140,000. The goal for 2012 is $300,000.
To participate in the dance marathon, dancers who sign up must raise a certain amount of money. Dancers register online, and are given their own donor drive page that allows people to donate money towards their fund. This year, each dancer is required to raise $100.
Modula would tell interested dancers not to be discouraged about raising the amount. “$100 sounds like a lot to a broke college student, but its much easier than people think,” Modula said. “You are making a huge difference with your $100.”
Sophomore education major Shannon Foster participated in Terp Thon last year as a dancer and enjoyed the experience so much that she plans to take part again this year. “The best part was being able to do something that helps kids and being able to meet them,” Foster said. She added that she loved talking to the “miracle children,” kids that come to the event and tell the dancers stories of how Children’s National Medical Center helped them.
“You feel like a changed person,” Bastani said of how she felt after the 12 hours of dance marathoning last year.
Interested in becoming a dancer for Terp Thon? Sign up here:
http://helpmakemiracles.org/event/terpthon12
All photos credited to Maria Vicencio.