For the Kids

In just a few short hours the University of Iowa Dance Marathon will host their BIG Event. Not to be confused with Children’s Cancer Connection’s upcoming The Big Event – A Silver Celebration, Dance Marathon’s BIG Event is a 24-hour Dance Marathon where students who raised the required amount of money assemble to celebrate the children survivors and remember the children who have passed away from cancer throughout the year. Dancers remain standing for the full 24 hours with no caffeine allowed! Live entertainment and a DJ help pass the time along with performances by local bands, University dance and theatre groups, and speeches given by many of the Dance Marathon families!

For the fourth year, University of Iowa Dance Marathon will use a portion of the proceeds raised to be the presenting sponsor of Camp Heart Connection! U of I Dance Marathon has a long tradition of providing both monetary and volunteer support to Camp Heart Connection.

Dance Marathon Dancer Emily Paul will spend her 7^th week as a volunteer at Camp Heart Connection this summer. “I’m involved with both CCC and DM because of the amazing opportunities they give me to help kids and their families stricken with pediatric cancer in an amazing and unique way while also learning so much from them,” Emily said. Emily also said that she loves what both organizations stand for. “Camp is a great place to be for a week, you get to escape form the real world and spend a whole week surrounded by people who care about the same things as you!”

Fellow University of Iowa Dance Marathoner Kyle Merrill volunteered at Camp Heart Connection for the first time last summer and described it as one of the greatest weeks of his life. Kyle’s friends introduced him to Dance Marathon, but he took it upon himself to become more involved in how families were supported by DM. “In both Camp and DM, the greatest thing in my mind is seeing these kids who have gone through so much treatment, and other things, be happy and smile,” Kyle said.

Both Kyle and Emily said that the kids provide the motivation for continued involvement. Kyle said, “The best way to put into words why I dance and spend so much time raising money, planning events, and spending a week at camp, is that it’s all ‘For the Kid,’ the motto of Dance Marathon.”

For more information on becoming a Camp Heart Connection volunteer please visit www.childrenscancerconnection.org/Volunteer