A dear friend of mine in my sorority shared this poem with me about Dance Marathon. It's a pretty quick read and I think it does a nice job of summing up why exactly committee members and dancers stand for 36 hours for kids most of them have never met. This year the Marathon is November 15-17.
A quick summary- IU Dance Marathon is the nation's second largest student-run philanthropy. The marathon is a 36 hour event where no one sits down, and we raise a lot of money for Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. Last year we raised over $2.6 million. It was started in honor of Ryan White, and a lot of the money goes to funding the infectious disease center at Riley. Riley is a special hospital because it doesn't turn away any family based on financial need. So no matter what the condition, a child can and will be treated at Riley.
This is my last year, and I've been involved with DM for my entire college career. I can honestly say that nothing has had a greater impact on me than this cause. Before I start crying, here is the poem:
"Do It For The Kids"Some call us a family and we are I would say,
Cause we all come together in the very same way.
To help those young children that just may not live,
And to look in ourselves to see what we can give.
We're not here for the fame or involved for the glory,
We're cause these kids are a unique kind of story.
See some will stay with us but some surely will die,
And I wish I could tell you but I do not know why.
Why these children are born hurting with frowns on their faces,
And spend most of their lives in hospital-type places.
It tugs at your heart when those big tear-filled eyes
Are looking up at you and asking you why.
Why their bodies don't work right and their world is so sad,
And they can't live at home with their mommy and dad.
So keep working hard people for those sick little ones,
And know deep in your heart that good's being done.
Because what you are doing helps make miracles each day,
For you give of yourself in an unselfish way.
This year I am working towards a special goal. I am trying to raise a career total of $10,000. That means that over the entire time I've been involved in Dance Marathon, that's how much I want to have raised. If this post reaches the right people, I can EASILY make this happen. My personal fundraising page is: http://donate.rileykids.org/goto/michbeatty
Even a $5 donation can truly help to make miracles happen in these kid's lives. There are 23 days until the marathon.
FTK, ALC, RW.
This is me and Jaquelyn, and I'm teaching her a fancy dance.
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