Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich poses for a photo with the dancers
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (April 14, 2014)—In just 12 hours, Kirkwood Community College students helped raise more than $26,000 to help ailing children in Iowa.
Cedar Rapids Dance Marathon, a non-profit formed by college students from Kirkwood, Coe College and Mount Mercy University, was held Saturday, April 12, at the Michael J Gould Kirkwood Recreation Center at the Kirkwood campus.
“Students stood for 12 hours for kids who can’t,” said Seth Vander Tuig, director of Student Life at Kirkwood and one of the event organizers. “The event was 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with each hour having a different theme. It’s centered around having fun with the kids (and families) who are patients at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, typically about 18 families each year. Activities include basketball, some dancing, movies, bingo and other random fun during the event.”
CR Dance marathon is about more than just one event, Vander Tuig pointed out.
“The big event is typically what most people think of when talking about Dance Marathon, but it’s so much bigger than that,” Vander Tuig said. “Dance Marathon is a year-long fundraising effort by college students. Students participate in a variety of fundraisers, such as trick-or-treating for kids who can’t, community nights and awareness type events where they ask for donations.”
Now in its fourth year, CR Dance Marathon has raised close to $100,000, money that is donated directly to Children’s Miracle Network where it benefits children at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.
“There are close to 200 Dance Marathon events nationwide, yet ours is unique in that it is the ONLY program involving multiple colleges – something that provides us opportunities, but many challenges along the way. After our first year, we won the national award for the top new dance marathon in the country,” Vander Tuig said.
For more information, see www.CRDanceMarathon.wix.com/CRDM.