If you have been at Rutgers for at least one semester, you have definitely heard the phrase “Rutgers Dance Marathon” before. For those who still don’t know what it is, it’s an event where dancers are standing or dancing for 12 hours straight to raise money for children with cancer or blood disorders with Embrace Kids Foundation.
Now, when I heard of it, I wasn’t convinced that it was anything different than other philanthropic events. What is the big deal?
This year, I joined to find out.
When you join as a dancer, you also need to join a team. I joined the Scarlet Ambassador Team for friends and scarlet pride!!!
Raising the minimum was a breeze from canning and bagging as well as other fundraising events. It also helped that I signed up in early November, so I had more time to fundraise.
Finally, the day came.
I walked into the RAC, following a trail of colorful flags. I entered the building, signed in, and walked into the main space.
The first thing I noticed was how much energy there was. Everyone was so energetic for 8am on a Saturday. I was especially surprised since I was slightly wary of standing for so long. Ya girl’s got weak joints!
After one hour, I started to feel it a little. But at two hours, I was already counting down. Luckily, there were many events going on as well as everyone else dancing around me. This is when being with my team REALLY saved me. Having people to just talk with during meals, learning the line dance, and singing at the concerts is really supportive.
Another hour passed, and another. The planning team did a great job of having continuous bands play and other groups come perform for us to watch (and forget about the pain).
Then, after nine hours, the kids came out.
At that point, after all the videos, I was so ready to meet some of the kids who we danced for. That was when I understood the hype. This is who we were supporting, and they were supporting us as we ventured into the last few hours.
As the last two hours started to pass away, the energy got even higher. The music was even louder, and the MC was pumping up the crowd. Even though legs were sore and ankles ached, we danced even harder. The hours were almost over! Why not dance harder? At some point it felt good to dance instead of staying still and standing. The energy was high, and I might not even be describing it well enough.
FINALLY, the 12 hours were over. During the last hour, there were so many heartfelt words and videos that really conveyed the emotion of Dance Marathon. By then, we were on the verge of or in tears. So when the countdown was over, there was only one thing left: How much did we manage to fundraise?
Last year, we almost hit a million, so the big question was did we this year?
As the numbers slowly unfolded, the crowd erupted in cheers as they saw a 0 where last year’s 9 was. WE DID IT!!
WE RAISED OVER A MILLION FOR THE KIDS!!
More tears and hugs and screams and applause. This was one of the highlights of the night. We were so elated about why we were dancing and when we saw how much we were able to raise for the wonderful families, it was the cherry on top.
So this is definitely one of the Rutgers experiences that you probably won’t understand unless you experience it in person. Even if you don’t get to dance, try to volunteer! If not, try to visit someone dancing next year! It’ll mean the world to them.
This was definitely one of the best nights I’ve had at Rutgers. Emotionally and physically, I was pushed to new limits. I would not have lasted those 12 hours without the support of my team and the friends and family who encouraged me throughout. Until next year!!
Photo credits to the lovely Jill Ferraro!