Dance Marathon at Hope College

Hope College's dance marathon is a twenty-four hour event which takes place on Hope College's Campus in Holland, Michigan. The first annual Dance Marathon at Hope College took place in 2000. In the inaugural year, it was expected that a school of Hope's size would only raise $4,800. But, as a result of much hard work and dedication, the marathon brought in over $23,000 in donations for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. In the years that followed, the program has evolved to include numerous fundraising and awareness-building activities such as the Miracle Auction, the Christmas holiday party for miracle families, and most recently a Hope basketball game "for the kids" at which miracle families attend and money is raised. Student participation in the event has grown over the years, as well. Currently, more than 600 Hope students contribute to Dance Marathon as members of planning committees, or as dancers and moralers. To this day Hope College students still beat the odds and continue to show astounding numbers for a school of its size. To date, Dance Marathon at Hope College has raised approximately $800,000 for the kids.
Mission
The overall theme of Hope College's Dance Marathon is "Giving hope to kids". Furthermore, the mission of Dance Marathon at Hope College is to raise funds and awareness for the families treated at DeVos Children’s Hospital while also creating a legacy of community involvement and encouraging a lifestyle of philanthropy. This organization provides an opportunity for Hope College students to develop leadership and event planning skills. Together with Children’s Miracle Network, Dance Marathon raises funds, builds hope, and provides inspiration for children and families in West Michigan.
Student involvement
Students can be involved in many different ways with Dance Marathon. The marathon is planned by the 'Dream Team' who work year round to plan the annual event. Under each Dream Team member is a committee of people who assist them in their year round fund raising and planning. Along with the Dream Team, Designated Group Representatives (DGRs) help spread the love and enthusiasm of Dance Marathon on Hope’s campus all year round! These individuals meet regularly with members of Dream Team to get updates about the Miracle Families, upcoming events, fundraising opportunities and more. DGRs are asked to relay all information to their participating student organization and encourage members to get involved in Dance Marathon efforts throughout the year. Another way to be involved is to be a moraler. These cheerleaders keep the dancers excited and entertained from start to finish. Moralers are assigned 8-hour shifts during the marathon, during which time they are charged with the crucial task of boosting dancer morale and keeping energy high. In addition to their presence at the event, moralers are encouraged to raise money throughout the year “for the kids.” Finally, the marathon would not be possible without the hundreds of students who come out to dance each year. Dancers are on their feet for the entire 24-hour marathon in a gesture of solidarity with the children and families they support. You can dance on behalf of a student organization, fraternity or sorority. Or, you may sign up as an individual dancer and we will do our best to match you with other enthusiastic participants! In addition to their presence at the event, dancers are encouraged to raise money throughout the year “for the kids.”
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
DeVos Children's Hospital is the only hospital in Western Michigan dedicated to providing comprehensive care to children. It serves as a referral center for newborns, infants, children, and adolescents from 37 counties. DeVos provides medical care that is generally not available at community hospitals. It is a special resource for local health care centers and hometown physicians. It receives no direct state aid and depends upon private support to expand health care programs and services. Currently, they are on course to have an entirely new complex deticated solely towards the children's hospital which is scheduled to open in early 2011. When it opens that will make it the fifth largest children's hospital in the United States.

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