It was just 4 years ago when Emily Steinmetz was a freshman at the University of Northern Iowa. She made a choice that would not only change her life, but the lives of many others forever. While scouring the organization fair, she was approached by an executive member of Dance Marathon who in a light-hearted manner used “the sun and a trophy to blind me and forced me to stop and talk to them. When they explained what UNI Dance Marathon was and how it helped others, I was hook

The number 62 has been a symbol for us all year. Each minute, 62 children enter a Children's Miracle Network hospital for treatment. 62 inspired our goal for push day where we pushed ourselves to raise $62,000 in just one day. The number is our inspiration for our year-long goal of #620ThousandStories. At the end of this year-long movement, we will find out if we were able to raise $620,000 FTK, but every day until then, we have to keep fundraising. With a new pledge minimum

Everything that UNI Dance Marathon does is centered around the miracle kiddos and their families. The Family Relations committee is an integral part of UNI DM, as they work to connect dancers with the kiddos and their families. The committee is divided into two sub-committees: Family Involvement, and Family Events. Family Involvement is dedicated to designing and decorating the Family Room at the Big Event, along with planning fundraisers and spreading awareness through even

I used to always wonder what my purpose was. I asked myself if I was doing enough and if not, where could I make myself useful. In high school I was always involved in extracurricular activities and knew I wanted to carry that over into my college career. When I came to UNI I had somewhat of an idea what Dance Marathon was, but it wasn’t really on my radar. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and it was so new to me and there were so many different options. I met wonderful fri

I Hit My Goal!... Now What? First of all… CONGRATULATIONS! A mandatory “Happy Dance” should definitely be set aside to do. Whether the dance is public, private, broadcasted through all of social media, etc. is all your choice. But definitely take a moment to celebrate such a huge accomplishment. Secondly, thank those who got you to this point. You definitely did not do this alone. Share with the world and all your donors what you have all achieved together. Social media is a

I love the idea of starting out fresh for a New Year, dreaming big, searching far, trying new things, finding that one special word or phrase to encourage you everyday to be the best version of yourself. But all of this is far more meaningful if you remember the bends in the roads behind you. All the struggles and dead ends you have hit have lead to where you are today, and for that I am so thankful for all the bends I have encountered in the last year. That one special phras

December's Dancer of the Month is Marrissa Pasker! Marrissa is a freshman majoring in English and minoring in pre-law. She is new to UNI DM this year and is a member of the family relations committee. She was nominated by her Morale Captain, Andie Exline who says "she comes to almost all events and meetings. She has raised over $700 and she is always the first one to reach out to me!” Marrissa learned all about Dance Marathon at summer orientation and after talking and connec

With 2018 coming to a close I had the opportunity to reflect on all the joys, triumphs, trials, successes, and failures that 2018 brought, and with my last semester at UNI starting I have been reflecting on my time at this one of a kind university. One word that comes to mind is: growth. I have always believed that every opportunity you are given is an opportunity to grow whether it be new perspectives or attitudes, new skills, or new ideas. Becoming a morale captain my first