If there is anything greater than raising money for a good cause, it is definitely being able to dance and listen to some good tunes while you do it. Hence, the brilliance of Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is an annual philanthropy event benefiting UVa’s Children’s Hospital. Last year, Dance Marathon was awarded the UVA student Council “Best Philanthropic Event” out of all eligible CIO organizations after raising $50,000. Running the event is a job for the dedicated, hardworking, and apparently for those who enjoy busting out their favorite dance moves. Her Campus got the inside scoop on the ladies behind the brains and the moves of Dance Marathon. Read on to learn more about two of the three overall chairs for Dance Marathon.
Name: Jackie Bechara
Year: 3rd Year
Major: Double-major in Economics and English, with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies.
What is your favorite part about Dance Marathon? All of the amazing people and stories I have encountered, both within and outside our organization.
What is the most difficult part about Dance Marathon? The most difficult part of Dance Marathon, besides reaching our fundraising goals, is that at a school like UVA, where everyone is so involved and passionate about a wide spread of organizations and causes, it’s sometimes difficult to mobilize support for our own cause.
What do you like doing in your free time? I love doing ballet, working out, baking, and watching re-runs of Friends.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? I hope to be five years out of law school, successfully employed and hopefully still somehow connected with Dance Marathon (fingers crossed!).
What dance movies will you be showing off this year at Dance Marathon? At the marathon, I’ll be rocking the Morale dance with the rest of DM (Dance Marathon)!
What do you hope for the future of Dance Marathon? Ultimately, I hope to establish Dance Marathon at UVA as an event with as much support as it has at schools such as Penn State or Florida State. Not only would I really like to get the whole student body involved, but perhaps by the end of my fourth year, we might be able to push our fundraising goal above $100,000!
Is there anything new or different we can expect from DM this year? This year’s marathon will be 14 hours, as it’s our 14th year at UVa. The first half will be at Memorial Gym and the second half will be at Boylan Heights on the Corner.
We’re having a rave bar night at Boylan on October 19 and Accapellooza in Nau Hall on November 17, plus more special events to come! Come out to any of our events this semester, sign up to be a dancer and we hope to see you at the marathon! Do it for the kids!
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Name: Meredith Loretta
Year:4th Year
Major: Psychology & Religious Studies, and a minor in Economics
What is your role in Dance Marathon? This is the 2nd year that I’ve been Overall Chair. Our organization is set up with 3 overall chairs who split the responsibilities and then an executive board of about 10 that is more specialized.
What is your favorite part of Dance Marathom? The main event. This year it will be all day (14 hours) on February 25, 2012. This is when everything–the work, meetings, time, lost sleep, and fundraising–pays off. When it goes through efficiently and successfully, there is no better high. Seeing a room full of students, children, and families having a blast because of the work of my leadership team and myself is unbelievable. It hopefully brings people hope that there are a group of students dedicated to making a difference at the UVA Children’s Hospital, and we’re really getting it done!
What do you do in your free time? Well, there isn’t always a whole lot of free time to be had! I’m a member of a sorority and I’m very close with my pledge class. So I’m usually hanging around with them. I’m also a huge sports fan. So on the weekends I’m usually at a game or watching a game (especially Saturday College Football Game Day).
Where do you see yourself in ten years? I’m currently studying for the LSAT and I’m planning on going to law school after taking a few years off. At this point, I think I want to manage a large-scale social welfare organization. Through my experiences with Dance Marathon and a summer internship at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (a non-profit dealing with children’s welfare policy), I’m hooked on trying to make a difference in people’s lives. I want to be doing something rewarding (if I can find a way to make that pay the bills too, then I’ll definitely appreciate it, too).
What’s your favorite music to dance to? I’m a Dave Matthews Band fanatic, so I’m usually rocking out to that or a wide variety of country music. However, at the Marathon, whenever a great 90s jam that has been long forgotten comes on, I’m the first once to the stage to show off my moves (which usually don’t impress anyone).
What dance movies will you be showing off this year at Dance Marathon? Last year was the year of “move it like bernie” so I became pretty skilled at that particular move. This year I’m open to suggestions, but I’m always a fan of the classics–the lawnmower, the sprinkler and my personal favorite–the shopping cart.
Is there anything new or different we can expect from Dance Marathon this year? We’re currently looking for corporate sponsorships, which is a new step for us. Our goal is a 50% fundraising increase, to $75,000 by February 25, 2012. Expect the same fun as years past–a mechanical bull, carnival games, free food, awesome t-shirts, DANCING and the cutest kids you’ve ever seen. Expect to feel like you’ve done something to make a difference after coming to Dance Marathon at UVA. If you’d like to sponsor the organization or want more information about what we’re about, check out www.DMatUVA.org or e-mail the overall chairs: buck.jackie.meredith@gmail.com