Dance Marathon Raises $18K for Children’s Hospital Boston

April 19, 2012

They surpassed their fundraising goal. Then, they danced.

After a year of planning and fundraising, students had plenty to celebrate, having raised $18,400 in donations for Children's Hospital Boston as part of the first annual Emmanuel College Dance Marathon. In total, 125 members of the Emmanuel community joined in on the final celebration, a 12-hour overnight dance in the Jean Yawkey Center gymnasium on April 14th-15th.

"The event was a huge success to say the least," said Assistant Director of Student Activities Kevin Farrell, who served as Emmanuel Dance Marathon's advisor. "The students who stuck with the program and came on later in the semester were able to see how Dance Marathon really can affect families. It wasn't just about raising money, attending an event or staying up overnight for 12 hours. It was about doing something larger than themselves and making a difference in the Boston community. These students did just that."

Emmanuel was one of six Boston-area schools that participated in Dance Marathon, a nationwide movement that raises money for hospitals within the Children's Miracle Network. The program is entirely student run and commits 100% of donations to helping local children's hospitals. Overall, Dance Marathons across the country have helped to raise more than $50 million. Each program concludes with a lengthy dance to celebrate the group's accomplishments.

Two patients from Children's Hospital Boston and their families visited Emmanuel's Dance Marathon to thank the volunteers and share their personal stories. For Kim Masse '13, the overall chair of Emmanuel's Dance Marathon, their visit was icing on the cake to the yearlong venture.

"I've never walked away from an event feeling like I did walking away from Dance Marathon Sunday morning," she said. "It was the best thing I have witnessed at Emmanuel. It was really rewarding to see the whole effort pay off and to witness how the entire Emmanuel community came together to help us."

Masse and company established an ambitious fundraising goal for themselves in the program's inaugural year, looking to raise $15,000 - double that of any other local participating school. They achieved that and then some to become the top fundraising school in their district this year.

Volunteers garnered support from friends, family, Emmanuel faculty and staff, and from local businesses, such as Jillian's Boston and Howl at the Moon, both of which offered the group space for events. Students raised awareness and promoted their efforts on campus, producing a monthly newsletter to share ongoing information with the Emmanuel community and hanging a large-scale thermometer showcasing their fundraising progress in the Maureen Murphy Wilkens Atrium in the Jean Yawkey Center.

Congratulations to members of Emmanuel College's Dance Marathon on a successful inaugural year:

Kim Masse - Overall Chair
Dianne Destefano - Entertainment & Fundraising Co-Chair
Kathleen Smith - Entertainment & Fundraising Co-Chair
Morgan Sleight - Entertainment & Fundraising Co-Chair
Kyle Ford-Withrow - Hospital Relations Co-Chair
Kate Hope - Hospital Relations Co-Chair
Corey Bailey - Marketing & Public Relations Co-Chair
Anna Boutin - Marketing & Public Relations Co-Chair
Doug Cowing - Marketing & Public Relations Co-Chair
Laura Coughlin - Operations Chair
Emily Abelson - Recruitment & Moral Co-Chair
Kara Moras - Recruitment & Moral Co-Chair

Emmanuel Dance Marathon would also like to recognize those that donated and supported the cause, including:

For those interested in learning more about Emmanuel College Dance Marathon, contact Kevin Farrell at farrellk@emmanuel.edu.

Back to News Listings »