With over 900 dancers registered, another potentially record-setting Dance Marathon is on the horizon for next month.
“This year we’re working hard to get the best of the best,” said Billy Gellepis, this year’s executive director of Dance Marathon at UCLA. “It will be the best 26 hours that participants have ever experienced.”
The annual event has become a rite of passage for thousands of UCLA students who have raised nearly $1 million to fight pediatric AIDS since 2002. Last year, $330,245.70 was brought in with the help of 2,500 volunteers and over 650 dancers.
Yet as the fastest growing annual university philanthropy event, Dance Marathon at UCLA finds itself at a critical stage, and careful steps must be taken in order to insure continued expansion is successful.
Providing a model for expansion are dozens of other more established programs at universities across the nation. Most notably, last year Northwestern University raised $708,711.20 benefiting pediatric cancer, and Indiana University raised $1,041,197.20 for the Riley Hospital for Children.
Pennsylvania State University’s Dance Marathon, called “THON” for short, is the premiere Dance Marathon in the U.S. At a glance it seems similar to UCLA’s program ““ in 2007 they had 708 dancers and approximately 3,000 volunteers who worked to raise money for children with cancer.
But THON raised $5,240,385 on President’s Day weekend in 2007, more than 15 times that of Dance Marathon at UCLA in 2007, and has raised over $41 million since 1973, when the program began as a small dance competition. Aspects of their success could perhaps be replicated at UCLA ““ THON allocates proceeds to their own programs, inspiring further fundraising and awareness on campus; it drives students to compete to raise money primarily in groups, such as in Greek organizations.
First of all, as Dance Marathon at UCLA continues to grow, it only makes sense that more, if not all, of the proceeds be relocated to fund research endowments at the UCLA Medical Center.
Penn State’s THON benefits The Four Diamonds Fund, which they established at Penn State Children’s Hospital to treat children with cancer, providing millions in funding every year.
“Students tour the facilities where the money is being sent. They see the treatment rooms and the research being performed that they fund,” said Dan Cocco, overall chairman of THON.
It also allows for students and patients to easily develop relationships with each other, providing for love, support, and more inspiration to fundraise year-round.
“Students visit with families for holidays, celebrating last chemo sessions or years of remission with them. They are able to help them through the highs and the lows,” Cocco said.
Diverting funds is not to say that the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, UCLA’s primary benefactor, is unworthy, they are simply not able to provide the same level of personal interaction and awareness that The Four Diamonds Fund does for Penn State.
To rectify this, last year organizers of Dance Marathon at UCLA relocated 20 percent of the funds to Camp Heartland and Camp Kindle, which provide hope for children already dealing with AIDS. Children came to speak at the event and interacted with UCLA students.
Gellepis noted that the Dance Marathon committee reviews grant proposals every year from potential benefactors, and that they are open to supporting alternative programs, although none have justified taking money away from current organizations.
By nurturing programs on campus, either in addition to or in place of current programs, this interaction can become more significant and year round. By making the cause more personal, future Dance Marathons at UCLA will fill students with first-hand knowledge and an increased drive to fundraise.
Another area that Dance Marathon at UCLA may want to model Penn State’s program is their approach to fundraising, rather than place pressure on individuals, teams are formed, sometimes informally but other times in organizations such fraternities or sororities.
Individuals need not raise certain amounts, such as the $225 minimum at UCLA, in order to participate, thus encouraging broader involvement from those simply wishing to help their organization. Providing incentive, the teams that raise the most are allowed to send more representatives to dance.
“Competition is strong, especially among the top-10 organizations, but it is definitely friendly,” said Cocco.
It also brings in a lot of money, most notably within the Greek system. Last year at Penn State, 49 percent of the total amount raised, or $2,542,036.08, was from Greek teams, with top houses raising over $300,000. Approximately 12 percent of students at Penn State are involved in the Greek system, similar to UCLA’s 13 percent, indicating a population difference is not the reason.
Spencer Schlee, president of UCLA Inter-Fraternity Council, noted that though Greek participation could not be required, given their already high fees and costs, increased competition could lead to increased fundraising and awareness for Dance Marathon at UCLA, which IFC and the Panhellenic Council “highly support and welcome.”
“Dance Marathon is perhaps the most valuable annual event at UCLA … getting (Greeks) more involved could really help it expand,” said Schlee.
By following THON at Penn State’s lead on these fronts and others, Dance Marathon at UCLA can secure its place in campus history and most effectively achieve its goal: to raise as much money and awareness as possible.
“On the ground level, you can make the decisions now that people can look back in 35 years and say “˜you did the right thing.'” said Cocco.
E-mail Noble at bnoble@media.ucla.edu.