36 hours $405,412.17

With Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" playing, 550 dancers ran into the gymnasium at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building Friday night. \nThe 11th Annual IU Dance Marathon -- a 36-hour nonstop party to benefit patients in Indianapolis' Riley Hospital for Children -- ended early Sunday morning to Queen's song, "We are the Champions." \nBut by then the 550 dancers were hardly running anywhere.\nThe event, a test of endurance, raised $405,412.17 for the hospital, the highest amount raised by Dance Marathon in a single weekend. During 11 years, the marathon has raised more than $2 million for the hospital.\n"This will be the greatest weekend of your college career," said senior Kim Wisniewski, Dance Marathon president in her opening address.\nGames and activities kept participants occupied when they were not out on the dance floor. Throughout the 36 hours, students were taught a line dance that they performed at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. The line dance lasted for eight minutes. \nIU President Myles Brand stopped by to motivate the students, and senior basketball player Kyle Hornsby came to play and talk with the Riley children.\nAlmost two-thirds of the way through the weekend at 6 p.m. Saturday, the dancing and games kept going.\n"They're still in high spirits," Wisniewski said of the participants. "We always make sure we have something to keep them active and up and around." \nVisits from family and friends helped. \n"The visitors are a lifeline," Wisniewski said. "They bring a smile, food and surprises. Sometimes (the dancers) need some help from the outside world."\nEncouragement from the Riley families also supported the dancers. Throughout the event, the families and children shared their stories with the entire group.\n"During the middle six hours, you get into a rut, and you're not sure why you do it," said Amish Patel, a senior. \nBut hearing the stories of the Riley families kept him going, he said. \nDave Neustadter, senior and director of morale, said he found one speech from a Riley kid especially encouraging. \n"When Jacob said, 'I'm staying up all night. If I can do it, you can do it,' (the dancers) did it," Neustadter said. \nJacob is living with leukemia. This was his fourth Marathon, and his mother proudly announced that he has been in remission now for one year and eight months.\nThe last hours of Dance Marathon culminated in the performance of the line dance, presentation of awards, stories of Riley families and some final thoughts and songs.\nSpirit and fund-raising awards were given, and the best groups overall, through a combination of fund-raising efforts and spirit, were Kappa Delta and Alpha Tau Omega. \n"I love the last hour," Wisniewski said. "It is a snippet of everything that goes on."\nExternal Vice President J. Ryan Williams said he was moved by the dedication he saw. \n"About an hour before the total went up, I walked up the stairs. I looked out and saw everyone huddled around getting pumped up," Williams, a senior said. \nThe dancers kept going through the last hour.\n"These are the best dancers we've had in four years," Williams said. "They have a lot of pizzazz and heart. They are what make or break the Marathon."\nThe event came to a close with the words of Riley families, and students saw firsthand the importance of their contributions.\n"Even though I've done nothing special, I'm exactly what Riley hospital is about," said David Flick, a 24-year-old former Riley patient who has attended the marathon for all 11 years. "You're looking at your goal."\nWith meals every three hours and snacks all around, students didn't spend much of their 36 hours hungry. Through donations and sponsorship, students' meals included 420,000 pieces of ravioli, 45 gallons of ice cream and 200 large pizzas. Tortilla Flat donated an entire meal to the marathon.\n"We have more food than we know what to do with," said senior Phil Chang, director of public relations. \nThe excess food will most likely be given to food banks, organizers said.\nSponsorship plays a key role in the execution of Dance Marathon. All administration costs, such as the $32,000 it takes to set up the stage and the gym, come from sponsorship. Cingular helped sponsor the Marathon this year and also donated $5 for every Cingluar activation across the state last weekend to Riley. \nAlthough streamers and pizza boxes still littered the HPER gym, planning for next year's event will begin shortly. \n"The new executive council is chosen through interviews at the end of November each year and they really begin their term in January," Wisniewski said. "We have truly evolved into a yearround organization."\nWisniewski said this year's marathon was the best yet, but believes that each year the event will keep getting better. \nNeustadter helped to end the event by asking the students to "dance for the kids at Riley," and despite 36 hours on their feet, the dancers did.\n"I think they all walk away knowing why they did this if it wasn't in their hearts when they came," Wisniewski said.