Dance Fever

This weekend's IU Dance Marathon began on Friday evening with 600 bright eyed and energized dancers running through a tunnel of people into the HPER gymnasium. It ended Sunday morning with tired eyes and tears over a sense of accomplishment. \nThis year's IU Dance Marathon raised $415,001 for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The total beat out last year's sum of $405,412.\n"By volunteering their time these students are making a difference in a Riley family's life," said Mary Thomas, the mother of a Riley patient.\nThis is the 12th year IU students have come together to put on Dance Marathon for Riley Hospital. IU Dance Marathon is one of the largest student run organizations in the country. Over the past 12 years, the event has raised over $1.5 million for Riley Hospital. This money gave the hospital the resources to build the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center in 2000.\n600 dancers and members of 13 Dance Marathon committees danced the hours away to raise money for the approximately 7,500 inpatients and 120,000 outpatients Riley receives every year. Numerous bands including Three Minute Mile and Straight No Chaser provided music for the students to keep them motivated.\n"We danced like nobody was watching," junior Jackie Mikusevich said.\nStudents found many ways to keep themselves going despite the lack of sleep. Many of them played catch, took showers, gave back massages, and colored to keep themselves awake. Members of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity got the crowd going again Saturday night when they sang a lively karaoke rendition of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer."\nThe morale committee was in charge of keeping the dancers motivated. \n"We are responsible for making sure that the dancers and the families are having fun," said J.R. Reisinger, Director of the morale committee.\nDuring the event, members of the morale committee taught the students a line dance. The dance was completed and performed in the early hours of Sunday morning. The committee was also in charge of organizing games and getting the students to interact with the Riley kids. Members of the morale committee had to maintain their high energy level to help encourage students during the event.\n"Morale has done a good job of keeping us motivated. They have a lot of energy," Mikusevich said.\nThere were numerous Riley families in attendance this year. Students were able to interact and play games with many of the children they were helping. IU Dance Marathon President Allison Morgan said her favorite part of the event was seeing all the Riley kids and hearing their stories. \n"This is the one time of the year we know we will see these kids," Morgan said.\nThe event is meaningful to the kids and families of Riley.\n"The difference they make today changes tomorrow for me," said Stacie Thornburgh, a Riley patient.\nThe dancers also received words of support from visitors like Dean Richard McKaig, who arrived in his slippers Saturday afternoon. However, the friends and family members who dropped in were some of the most important and encouraging visitors for the dancers.\n"The visitors keep you going," said sophomore Liz Senn, a dancer. "The hardest times are when there are no visitors."\nFriends and family members brought food, games, flowers and letters of support to the students who gave up their weekend for kids at Riley.\nBaxter, Phillip Morris, Cingular, Kilroy's and many other businesses helped sponsor this year's event. Tortilla Flat donated almost a full meal to the dancers who were fed ten times throughout the weekend.\nAs the event came to an emotional end Sunday morning, students gathered in a circle and listened to the song "Angels Among Us." Riley families took the stage to thank the students for everything they had accomplished over the weekend. As the total was raised early Sunday morning smiles and tears from students, Riley families and visitors filled the room. \n"Because of these kids we have the ability to give our kids the quality of life they have," said Nathaniel Black, the father of a Riley patient. "What these kids do is just amazing"