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Education Alumni & Students Raise Funds Through Dance Marathons Wherever They Are
by Amanda Modar

Alumnus Starts Dance-A-Thon In Rural N.C.
A few weeks after September 11, 2001, the students of the low-income, rural Cedar Creek Middle School in N.C. contacted their counselor eager to help America. The counselor, recent Penn State graduate Mike Meyer ’99 CN ED, thought a variation of Dance Marathon (THON) could be organized to raise money for The Twin Towers Fund. Though not involved with THON at PSU, “I came to appreciate what it was about,” Meyer said.

Alumnus Mike Meyer (right) poses with his class as they present the money raised at their dance marathon in North Carolina, inspired by Penn State's THON

Penn State’s THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising millions of dollars each year for The Four Diamonds Fund by holding a 48-hour dance marathon. In a little more than a year, the North Carolina middle school has donated nearly $17,000 to a regional and a local charity.

Dance-A-Thon faced initial mixed reactions and resistance from faculty and parents. Meyer credits Principal Dale Byrns with making the idea of an all night Dance-A-Thon a reality. “He took a risk and tried it out,” Meyer said. During the months of preparation, The Twin Towers Fund announced that adequate donations were obtained, but people must not forget their local charities. Duke Children’s Miracle Network and the United Way of Franklin County were named recipients of the project, which earned $6,686.71 in its first year and $10,143.42 last year.

To be eligible to dance in Dance-A-Thon, students were required to raise a minimum of $30 through community service. They were encouraged to help elderly citizens by doing yard work, buying groceries, and providing other services.

Dance-A-Thon kicked off each year with a laser light show for everyone in the community. In its inaugural year, 150 students stayed for the all night dance marathon. This past year, 200 students stayed to dance, as well as watch movies and participate in games and activities.

Students taking part in an after-school group, including students who do not have the opportunity to become involved in extra-curricular activities, helped organize the project. They created commercials for the student body, solicited business and corporations to finance Dance-A-Thon, and arranged for encouragement videos and letters from the Carolina Hurricane hockey team and Governor Michael Easley.

“For most students, Dance-A-Thon was just a party. But for some you could really see they got what it was all about. It hit them that they were helping people just like them,” Meyer said. He hopes next year will also be a success.

Undergraduate Revives Dancing for Dollars at West Mifflin High School
While completing her student teaching experience this past spring, Andrea Chiarelli ‘03 SECED was unable to be involved with THON. She asked around West Mifflin High School to see if it would be possible to start an event similar to THON.

She learned that some years ago, there had been a dance marathon at this Pittsburgh-area school, raising funds for multiple sclerosis. The event discontinued when a faculty member retired. In addition to fulfilling the demanding requirements of being a student teacher, Chiarelli was determined to begin planning with others to coordinate Dancing for Dollars 2003.

Chiarelli only dealt with her ninth through eleventh grade math students day-to-day, but thanks to Dancing for Dollars, she interacted with students with whom she otherwise would have had no contact. About 25 students stayed after school a few days a week to organize the event.

Clubs and organizations designated two dancers, totaling about 70 students. Students needed to raise $50 each to be eligible to dance in the 12-hour event.

Funds were raised through solicitation of donations from family members, relatives, and neighbors. Support from the community eased the planning process. Area businesses donated food, money, shirts, and even trophies for the top fund raisers.

Dancing for Dollars began with a dance in which all West Mifflin High School students were invited to pay $5 for three hours of fun. Community members and families were encouraged to come for the last two hours to cheer on the dancers and meet multiple sclerosis patients.

Chairelli believes that not only did the patients benefit from the funds, but students did as well. “You could see it, the whole school morale went up,” she said.

SPSEA and THON
The Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) continued its annual involvement with Penn State Dance Marathon for THON 2003. Four dancers and three committees, comprising a dozen students each, made SPSEA’s contribution to the Four Diamonds Fund a success.

The family relations committee corresponded with the THON Family, sponsored by SPSEA, through e-mail prior to THON. The fundraising committee raised donations by canning throughout the area.

The morale committee boosted the spirits of SPSEA prior to and during THON weekend. The committee sent care packages to canners from the fundraising committee. During THON weekend, moralers spent time with the THON family and supported the four dancers. “Our dancers constantly had someone there during all 48 hours, which not all organizations do,” said Jamie Hamilton, a senior in elementary education and last year’s morale committee chair.

Hamilton is president of SPSEA this year. She said that SPSEA will be involved with THON 2004. “It’s amazing to be there and be a part of it no matter how you’re involved.”

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