Emmanuel Dance Marathon Raising Money for Children’s Hospital Boston
November 16, 2011
The first annual Emmanuel College Dance Marathon is moving along smoothly. With five months of fundraising left, students are already a quarter of the way to their goal of raising $15,000 in donations to Children's Hospital Boston.
Emmanuel is one of six Boston-area schools participating 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. Last year, college dance marathons across the country helped to raise more than $8 million. The program culminates in a 12-40 hour-long dance marathon in the spring to celebrate the group's accomplishments.
"It is a long-term opportunity for individuals to come together as a group and help out those in need," said Jimmy Oxsalida '12, who serves as one of Emmanuel Dance Marathon's fundraising and sponsorship co-chairs. "After a year of planning and fundraising, the dance marathon itself is an end-of-the-year party for all of the hard work."
Recently, Assistant Director of Student Activities Kevin Farrell, who serves as Emmanuel Dance Marathon's advisor, and students attended a Dance Marathon Kick-Off Event sponsored by Children's Hospital Boston. The event was an opportunity for participants from area schools to meet, share fundraising ideas and discuss planning details. Emmanuel stood out from the rest in terms of its progress to date as well as its fundraising goal, which is double that of any other local school.
"It is ambitious," said Farrell. "But it shows our students are dedicated to making a difference."
"We realize it is going to take a lot to reach our goal," said Oxsalida. "But we feel we have the fundraising strategy and the resources both on and off campus. It is going to be a challenge, but we feel we can achieve it."
So far, students have garnered support from friends, family, Emmanuel faculty and staff, as well as from local businesses, such as Jillian's Boston and Howl at the Moon, both of which have offered the group space for future events. Over the next few months, students plan to continue to raise awareness and promote their efforts on campus. They are producing a monthly newsletter to share ongoing information with the Emmanuel community and plan to hang a large-scale thermometer showcasing their fundraising progress in the Maureen Murphy Wilkens Atrium in the Jean Yawkey Center.
Students will continue to work toward their goal until April 14th when they will hold their dance marathon celebration in the Jean Yawkey Center gymnasium.
To stay up to date on Emmanuel Dance Marathon, follow the group on Facebook and Twitter. To donate to the cause, click here.
