Dance Marathon feels like one of the fastest growing clubs at SMU. We caught up with SMU Dance Marathon’s Claire Halquist about why you should join the cause.
HCSMU: What year are you and what are you studying?
Claire Halquist: I’m a junior, and I’ll graduate with a BBA in accounting and a BSc in economics with financial applications.
HCSMU: What are you involved with at SMU?
CH: I’m a member of Delta Gamma, and I am VP Community Service for Delta Sigma Pi.
HCSMU: What is Dance Marathon in a nationwide sense?
CH: Dance Marathon is a community working toward the common goal of raising money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, specificially their research programs. Each participating university hosts an event celebrating all of the work that the hospital does for so many kids. At the event, students will learn a line dance throughout the event, they can participate in dodge ball tournaments or lip sync battles, and they can even hear stories from families of kids the hospital saved. The event is truly an unforgettable experience.
HCSMU: How did you get involved with Dance Marathon?
CH: I got involved in Dance Marathon during its first year, so for me it was simple. All I had to do was apply. Now, students can get involved by registering, raising money, or joining a committtee.
HCSMU: What does Dance Marathon do on SMU’s campus?
CH: On SMU’s campus, we host an event at the end of the fall semester as a culmination of year-long fundraising efforts by our university and community. This year, we will be having our event on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Hughes Trigg Student Center.
HCSMU: Describe Dance Marathon’s main event each year?
CH: We’ve had one main event so far. We held our event in the gym at Dedman Center last November. We played trivia, had a dodge ball tournament, competed in Minute to Win It Games, heard heartwarming stories from hosptial families, ate a lot of delicious food, took dance lessons from SMU’s ballrom dancers, and so many more. It’s an absolute blast!
HCSMU: How did Dance Marathon get started at SMU?
CH: A passionate student, Kimi Rose, brought this idea to SMU. With the help of many dediated and hardworking students, we had a successful first event last November raising over $32,000.
HCSMU: Can anyone join Dance Marathon?
CH: Anyone can join Dance Marathon! People can start teams, join those teams, and fundraise today! It is so easy to join. If someone wants to be more involved, they can reach out to me or another executive member to join a committee to help execute the event or plan for it.
HCSMU: What can non-members of Dance Marathon do to help Dance Marathon’s cause?
CH: Non-memers can do so much for Dance Marathon. The can go to our many fundraising nights at local restaurants like Potbelly Sandwhich Shop in Greenville. Because Dance Marathon is so new to SMU’s campus, the best thing that anyone can do is spread the word about what we’re doing. I’m so fortunate to be a part of such a great cause, and I believe that more people knowing about what we do will help infinitely.
HCSMU: List of any events coming up in the future or events occurring in the Fall of 2017.
CH: We have a lot of exciting smaller fundraising events planned for the upcoming semester, so stay tuned! Follow us on Instagram (@smudancemarathon) or like us on Facebook (Dance Marathon at SMU) for more information.