Chi Omega breaks the record at Dance Marathon 24 by raising over $100,000
24 hours. No sitting, no sleeping, and no caffeine. $3,011,015.24. All For The Kids. Dance Marathon 24 was a year of creating traditions and breaking records. The new tradition of the Kinnick Wave swept the nation, getting featured on ESPN and receiving the Disney Sports Spirit Award. Not only was DM 24 successful as a whole; it was also quite the year for our Chi Omega chapter. We are so proud to be the first Greek chapter at the University of Iowa to raise over $100,000 for Dance Marathon, and for the third consecutive year we received the Mary Peterson Award for being the highest Greek fundraising chapter on campus. Additionally, we had 17 sisters take on the Chicago Marathon in 2017 as charity runners for Dance Marathon 24. All of this culminated to February 2, 2018, where thousands of dancers from across campus gathered to celebrate life, rejoice the accomplishments made, and dance For The Kids.
My freshman year here at Iowa I stood in the back of the ballroom seeing the tote board go up showing 2 million dollars.My senior year, I stood in the front of the ballroom seeing the tote board go up to show three million dollars. In 4 years, we achieved a million dollar increase on top of moving into a brand new children's hospital, and ACHIEVING many milestones in between!! I couldn't love this organization more. I am so honored to be a small part in the financial and emotional support Dance Marathon provides for cancer victims and their families. - Ashley Mazzocchi
“DM24 was unforgettable, 100%. We had an AMAZING year and Chi Omega and Dance Marathon broke so many records raising money for the kids! On a personal note, my role as a Morale Captain Assistant was something I will never forget. There are so many people that are passionate about Dance Marathon, and I am so thankful I am able to experience it with my sisters. DM25 can’t come soon enough!”
24 hours of no standing, sleeping, or caffeine? Seems pretty daunting. And there are times when it is definitely just as hard as it sounds. But the pain that our bodies are feeling throughout that one day is nothing compared to what a innocent child battling cancer experiences in just one hour. This big event was my first year on leadership with Dance Marathon, and I didn't think that my passion for this organization could grow any more, but DM once again proved me wrong. The atmosphere of being surrounded by 3,000 other students is absolutely exhilarating, and the inspiration fills every corner of the room to help keep you on your feet. Why do I dance? I dance for a cure. I dance for more laughs, birthdays, and memories. I dance so that parents never have to experience losing a child to cancer. I dance for the kids. Dance Marathon is so much more than just the money (not that Chi Omega raising 100k as a chapter isn't amazing because holy moly is it!!!) Dance Marathon is the hope that one day, we will no longer need to dance for a cure, but we will be dancing in celebration of that found cure. These kiddos are my inspiration, and for them, I will never stop dancing. - Hayley Stuenkel
'Their journeys will become a part of each of us.' As a first year member of the Family Relations cabinet I walked into this year thinking I was going to change the lives of these families. Little did I know, they changed mine. Each kiddo I have played with and every parent I have talked with on the 11th floor of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital has given me a reason to both laugh and cry. What these families endure throughout their journey battling pediatric cancer is one which no words can do it justice. I dance to remind them they aren’t alone. I dance for the kiddos who fought but did not win. I dance for the families who are running out of hope. I dance with a goal in mind that someday we will find a cure and this $3 million is one giant steps towards reach exactly that.
- Courtney
“As a Junior this year, one of my favorite parts about Dance Marathon was spending time with some of our Chi Omega New Members. I never knew that Zumba at 5 in the morning could be such a bonding experience but we all had fun working out despite our sore bodies. I loved watching everyone power through the exhaustion with determination and love for the experience. We all helped each other fundraise, and together, we reached our goal. I wouldn’t want to spend midnight burritos, 3AM karaoke, and the big reveal any other way than surrounded by the people I love most.”
Experiencing the big event as a captain was easily the best 24 hours of my life. Not only did I get to dance, smile, cry, and laugh, I got to do that with all of my dancers that made it to the big event. It's so heartwarming to see them find their way and to see them experience it for the first time...and this year for them to have experienced breaking records and raising $3,011,015.24 FOR THE KIDS at their very first is the coolest and most rewarding thing to see as a captain! As for this year as a whole, I couldn't be more thankful to have fundraised FTK, met some amazing kiddos, and found the best friends on Morale '18. Dance Marathon 24 gave me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. - Annie
“Dance Marathon is unlike anything I’ve ever done. The people you work with, the dancers you dance with, and the kiddos and families you meet change your life. It’s amazing to be a part of something bigger than yourself. My first year on Operations introduced me to some of my best friends and it was awesome to see that all our hard work paid off. We danced, we cried and laughed together, and raised of 3 million dollars all For The Kids. ”
“I am so proud to be a Chi Omega and to have been a part of Dance Marathon. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again (standing for 24 hours is hard), until I saw those kids’ faces. I’ll definitely be doing it next year, hopefully raising even more than $3 million!”
Chi Omega Sisters with Leadership Positions for Dance Marathon 24
We had many sisters who held leadership positions throughout the year, but one of our sisters had an essential role in DM 24. Riley Coyle was the Executive Hospital Director and has decided to dedicate her life work to kiddos like those on the 11th floor of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.
“Serving as Executive Hospital Director for the University of Iowa Dance Marathon 24 has absolutely changed my life. I’ve met children who showed me strength like never before, I experienced loss to cancer I had hoped I’d never have to face, and I think most importantly I learned so much about the resiliency of children in times of distress. Dance marathon gave me everything, including a future career path. I will hold on to the memories, friendships, and lessons I learned this year for the rest of my life.”
"Creating tomorrow by dancing today."
After 24 hours of dancing, singing, and being on our feet we may have been tired and sore--but it is nothing in comparison to what these kiddos are battling every single day. We are incredibly proud of our 88 sisters that participated in DM 24 and can’t wait to see what records DM 25 will break. FTK!
