FIU Dance Marathon: Good time, good cause

This year’s Dr. Seuss-themed FIU Dance Marathon is scheduled for Jan. 30-31 at MMC.

By Martin Haro

It happens every year: Panthers and community members come together at FIU for Dance Marathon to raise funds for the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network.

Students, faculty/staff, alumni, their friends and families stay on their feet engaging one another, dancing and playing games for 25 hours in order to keep this thriving tradition, first established in 1998, alive and dressed in blue and gold.

This year’s Dr. Seuss-themed Dance Marathon is scheduled to begin at noon Saturday, Jan.30, in the Rec Center at Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

“In 2010 our goal is to raise $160,000,” said Mari Campuzano, coordinator for the Center of Leadership & Service. “We already have more than 160 dancers and more than 20 teams registered, and we are hoping more people will join us.”

Since its inception, Dance Marathon, the university’s largest student-run philanthropy effort, has raised more than $600,000. It broke records in 2009 when 130 dancers helped raise more than $137,000. (The inaugural event raised just a little more than $9,000.)

The event, Campuzano says, is a prime example of the FIU family’s commitment to the community.

“Dance Marathon is a unique opportunity to help children in medical need,” she said. “Even if one isn’t the best at dancing, everyone who pledges 25 hours is making a significant difference. [This] has less to do with dancing ability and everything to do with the spirit of a child in the hospital.”

To learn more about Dance Marathon, check out the video below.