The Children’s Hospital will receive $43,156 from the Dance to Make a Difference marathon.
The Panhellenic Association hosted the seventh annual dance marathon Saturday at the CU Rec Center.
Sixteen patients of the Children’s Hospital came with their parents and siblings for a day of fun events with volunteers from nine different sororities.
Chelsea Schaul, a 21-year-old senior marketing major and external vice president of the Panhellenic Executive Board, was the event chair and said that most of the dancers were in a sorority.
“The majority of attendants are in the Greek system,” Schaul said. “Ten percent are not in the Greek system.”
Schaul said there were over 60 volunteers and 1,100 participants at the marathon, which had a $15 entrance fee.
Schaul said the day was enjoyed by both families who had been to the marathon before and families who were first time attendees.
“It’s a day of just total fun,” Schaul said. “We have a couple families that come every year, and we also have some new families this year.”
Activities for the day included line dancing, Rock Band on a TV donated by Best Buy, dress up, bracelet-making and a moon-bounce.
Boulder Freeride and the LUNA nutrition bar company set up booths around the room. The marathon also included a performance by the CU a cappella group In The Buff.
Zellie Elliott, a 13-year-old heart patient at the Children’s Hospital, said she came to the dance marathon for the third year in a row.
“I loved it; it was awesome,” Elliott said. She added that her favorite part of the event was getting to meet a lot of new people.
Whitney Elliott, Zellie’s mom, said the event put a light day in the hard life of a Children’s Hospital patient.
“The best thing about the dance marathon is the patients have a good time,” Whitney Elliott said.
Elliott added the event was great for Zellie’s siblings, Jake and Haddie, as they could also enjoy the festivities.
Molly Oliver, a senior communication major and the media relations chair for the event, said the marathon was emotional for her because of the connection she has to the hospital.
“It just starts to hit home for me [because] I also started working at the Children’s Hospital this year,” Oliver said.
Oliver said she estimates at least 1,500 people attended the event.
She said it is important to note that the marathon was not just intended for those involved in the Greek system.
“We really want to raise awareness that this event isn’t just for the Greek system,” Oliver said. “It’s a wonderful event for everyone.”
Kelly Hilton, a 19-year-old freshman psychology major and Anna Zook, a 19-year-old sophomore broadcast news major, volunteered for the event as Miracle Makers.
“Basically, we signed up to be paired with a kid for the day,” Hilton said. “The kids are so special; we love them all.”
The Miracle Makers played games and danced with the kids as they ran through their schedule of events.
Zook said she liked being a Miracle Maker because it gave her a chance to get to know the kids better.
“It’s really cool to see the community not only support the Children’s Hospital but also to get to know the patients,” Zook said. “This is all about them.”
Oliver said the committee starts planning the dance marathon at the beginning of the summer.
“The main goal this year is to keep the energy up and our goal is raise awareness for these families,” Oliver said. “One day of bliss for them is worth all these people being here.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Julie Ryan at Ryanja@colorado.edu.
