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 hooked.” Emily said she signed up to be apart of this organization because “I wanted to be part of something bigger than me. I wanted to be involved with something that could change people's lives and that is how I fell in l

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 of $200, we compiled a list of ideas for fundraising when you think your tradition methods have been worn out. To keep a theme, we came up with 62 different ways to raise $200 before March 2nd. 1. Search your couch cushi

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 events around campus. Family Events plans fun events for both families and dancers so that everyone has the chance to meet as many kiddos as possible. Family Events also buys gifts for each miracle kiddo as a nice surprise o

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 friends coming into my freshman year and one of those friends had mentioned joining Dance Marathon. I had not yet decided what I wanted to do with my free time, so I decided to sign up for a committee last minute and went t

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 great way to share your big news. But also set aside some time to send out either personalized cards, texts, or even direct messages to those who have taken that extra step for the kids and donated to your fundraiser. 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 phrase that encourages me everyday is without doubt, ‘FOR THE KIDS’. This is a phrase that comes as a loaded phrase with so many different reason to be used but always in the more purest way being that everything we do is for

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 connecting with the DM representatives, she decided to sign up for DM. She later joined the family relations committee as a way to get to know the families better. She thought at summer orientation she would love Dance Maratho

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 year with UNI Dance Marathon brought about so much growth: the ability to talk in front of people, new leadership skills, and the start of an ever-growing passion to fight for the next generation. My second year in Danc