Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan

Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan (also known as DMUM and formerly named University of Michigan Dance Marathon) is a philanthropic dance marathon held annually at the University of Michigan. It is one of the largest student organizations on campus and raises money for the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, part of the University of Michigan Health System, and William Beaumont Hospital. The money DMUM raises goes towards supporting pediatric rehabilitation programs at the two hospitals. The money helps make these therapy programs affordable to families that have to pay out of pocket.^[1]

History

DMUM was founded in 1998 as University of Michigan Dance Marathon, changing its name in 2009. The sixteenth Dance Marathon, held in April 2013, was the most successful yet, raising $516,707.13 for several hospitals. Since its founding, Dance Marathon has raised over five million dollars.^[2]

Events

Throughout the year, dancers hold various events to raise money. The U-M students, or “dancers,” are placed in groups by dancer captains and paired up with a disabled child and his or her family. Throughout the school year, DMUM organizes events and activities for the dancers and their paired families and children to develop lasting relationships. A few of these events include their annual PJ party, pumpkin carving and Charity Ball.^[3] In 2010, DMUM started their first annual charity Gala dinner. The event aims to bring together the beneficiaries of our organization, along with the community, in an environment that allows us to talk about their involvement and to also learn more about the organization.^[4]

Dance Marathon partners with other schools, elementary, middle, and high schools, to host their own "marathons." These mini-marathons contribute toward Dance Marathon's total fundraising count at the end of the year. Mill Creek middle school was one of Dance Marathon's first mini-marathon sites, and have been going strong for six years.^[5] In 2010, Dance Marathon entered the Ann Arbor Public School System to help with Disability Awareness Workshop Days, where fourth graders in Ann Arbor learn what it means to have a disability and how life is different. Dance Marathon representatives explained to students what we do and how we help out in the community, by sponsoring therapy programs that families might not otherwise be able to afford.^[6]

The Marathon

At the dance marathon, normally held in March in the Ann Arbor Track and Field Building, dancers stay on their feet for 24 hours. The event used to last 30 hours, but was switched to 24 for a few reasons: "The children that benefit from the organization face more mental and physical challenges in 24 hours than most members could ever imagine. All day, every day, these families persevere to define themselves not by what is impossible, but by what is possible. It is truly a full-time job, as well as a full-time cause, and DMUM is proud to dedicate 24 hours of its own to “step into the shoes” of these children and their families by standing." The marathon is "timeless", and dancers and visitors should not have anything that shows the time during the event. This is to ensure that the dancers do not focus on how long they have been standing. Throughout the event, many activities are present and many student groups are invited to perform at the marathon. At the marathon, "morale captains" are designated to, as their name suggests, sign up to keep the dancers energized for a few hours at a time.

Total Money Raised

References