36 hours, 1 cause

IU Dance Marathon plans to raise a record $1 million for Riley Children’s Hospital at its 17th annual event. \nIUDM, the organization’s largest fundraiser, will start at 8 p.m. Friday in the Wildermuth Intramural Center of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building. The event will end at 8 a.m. Sunday. Organizers hope to top last year’s total of about $920,000.\nMembers of the organization will dance and volunteer for 36 hours nonstop. That even means no sleeping.\nIUDM Executive Council President Tommy Dooling said the event’s dancers will receive more than 10 meals and have breaks for games.\n“Everyone I’ve talked to has been very enthusiastic and very positive,” said John Reno, IUDM director of morale.\nIUDM Public Relations Committee Chair Lindsey Fox said 36 hours really “puts (the children’s suffering) in perspective,” because what the children from Riley experience is “greater than anything (the dancers) have ever experienced.” \n“There’ll be moments for the dancers they feel it’s too hard,” Fox said. “But the motivation is always there for them to keep going.”\nFormer IU student Jill Stewart founded the organization in 1991 to commemorate her friend Ryan White, who died the summer before he planned to attend IU.\nWhite was diagnosed with AIDS when he was 13, during a time when knowledge of the disease was very limited, Dooling said.\nWhite said he would only go to Riley Children’s Hospital for treatment, which is why the proceeds from IUDM are donated there.\nThis year the marathon’s theme is “Inspired by a cause, touched by a story, changed for a lifetime.”\nReno said the cause IUDM supports enhanced his dedication to the marathon.\n“The turn-on to me was just the name ‘Dance Marathon,’” Reno said. “I enjoy dancing.”\nBut after touring Riley, he said his perception of the importance of the event’s importance changed entirely.\n“It helped me find my niche to give back to the community in Bloomington,” Reno said.\nIUDM Director of Dancer Relations Erica Goldenberg said she hopes people will come visit the dancers because it gives them “a whole new energy” from people who are understandably “less tired.”\nReno said that aside from visitors, the Morale Committee will provide games to entertain the dancers and boost their energy based on TV shows such as “Survivor” and “Singled Out.”\nAnd, of course, Reno said, they will teach everyone a line dance.\nAlso, to cheer on the dancers, President Michael McRobbie will speak along with members of White’s family.\nDooling said he feels the exhaustion that will result from a day and a half of dancing and a year of preparation will have a big payoff for the Riley kids and for IU. \n“I feel that IUDM is an important tradition at IU because it helps show IU students how they can get together, do great things for the community and learn to give back to others,” Dooling said.