On April 22, Boston College students will dance through the night for 12 hours. The dance marathon, part of the nationwide movement to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, is being organized on BC’s campus for the first time by the Sophomore Class Council (SCC).
Boston Children’s Hospital is a part of the Children’s Miracle Network. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the children being treated there, said Brooke Goodman, graduate advisor for the SCC and GLSOE ’16. Since the cause is located so close to campus, Goodman explained that it would be easy for participants to see the positive impact that their efforts create, allowing the BC community to really connect to the cause and get to know the families they are raising money for at Boston Children’s.
“One of the best aspects of Dance Marathon is that all funds raised stay local,” Goodman said.
The SCC is currently looking for students from every class to serve on event-planning committees. The first step that students should take to get involved is to register online to participate in the event.
The event is also for the families of Boston Children’s Hospital. The families’ attendance is a way for the students to see the impact that their efforts have on the lives of people who are in need of medical attention.
Pediatric illness is a cause that students from over 450 schools nationwide are working to fight through the Dance Marathon movement and fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The program was started by a group of students at Indiana University in memory of their friend, Ryan White, who suffered from AIDS. After he passed away, the Indiana University Dance Council began its fight to help those struggling with infectious diseases.
The movement has spread across the country, and has more participants than any other student-led philanthropy in the United States today. This spring, BC undergraduates will join that growing group of students motivated to assist in raising the funds to treat pediatric patients.
“This will be a community-wide effort to make as big of an impact as we can FTK,” Emily Ye, social chair of the SCC and MCAS ’18, said.
Ye explained that “FTK” is an acronym commonly used in association with the Dance Marathon movement throughout the United States. It means “For the Kids,” and is used as a catchy reminder of the organization’s underlying purpose in all of its efforts. Every event planned and donation made help these children receive the services and treatments they need to survive.
The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat over 17 million children each year, covering all different types of illness, from cancer to sickle cell anemia. This system of health care also works to educate families and communities about everyday matters including child safety seats, bike helmets, and bicycle safety. The hospitals believe that by taking small steps in their daily routines, families can prevent accidents from occurring in the first place, thus limiting the number of children in need of medical attention.
The SCC hopes this cause will become an established, annual event on BC’s campus so that the University can continue to support the patients of Boston Children’s Hospital and their families.
Goodman said the SCC believes that its goal to hold a successful Dance Marathon fits in well with the University’s Jesuit tradition. BC’s mission is for students to become “men and women for others,” and she sees their support of the children in these hospitals as doing just that.
“By bringing Dance Marathon to BC, the Sophomore Class Council aims to live out the overarching Class Council mission of uniting the classes, building community and traditions, and providing opportunities for any student to be involved in something that will truly make a difference locally, within the Boston community,” Goodman said.
Featured Image by Sarah Hodgens / Heights Staff
