Why $200?

"YES! I love Dance Marathon and everything about it. We dance for the chance, cause there is no other way. UNI DM is FTK."

Dance Marathon is a way to step out of your comfort zone and be a part of something bigger than yourself. As college students, this can be scary. "I don't have a lot of time. I'm constantly sleep deprived. I have no extra money." These are all things running through college students' minds before joining a campus organization and stretching themselves and their busy schedules in more ways than they thought possible.

I'm sure you've heard this plenty of times, but Dance Marathon is different. Dance Marathon fights for a cure for children facing life threatening illnesses and injury. The children involved will not only impact your life, but they will change it in a way that you will never be the same.

So, there must be a catch, right? How can it be so fulfilling without a challenge?

The answer is yes, there is a challenge. To make something worthwhile, there has to be a challenge or else the outcome would never compare. That is why we have implemented the $200 minimum to attend the Big Event on March 2, 2019.

Fundraising can be scary. The word fundraising is intimidating on its own. When it comes to money, that tends to be one of the hardest kinds of fundraising. The thoughts about fundraising money come tumbling in to many dancers' heads as the Big Event approaches.

Do not lose sight of the goal. We, UNI Dance Marathon, want to raise awareness for these strong kids that are facing battles that we could never even imagine facing. We fight to find the cure. Until there's a cure, there's a cause.

Moving forward, shift your focus. Do not solely base your posts on social media, continuous emails, face-to-face conversations and any other Dance Marathon channels you use on raising money only; change your focus towards the kids, because the kids are why we do it.

The $200 minimum is to push dancers to rise to the challenge -- the challenge to raise awareness and support for the children facing illnesses and injuries at the U of I Children's Hospital. Their path is challenging and uncomfortable.

Do not be scared of your fundraising goal. It should be a constant reminder of just a piece of the puzzle of how we get the opportunity to impact these amazing kids. These brave kiddos might not always realize it, but they are impacting us, also.

So, continue fundraising, but focus on the kids. It can be a challenge to reach out to people, but this challenge does not compare to the challenge these kids we fight for face every single day.

If you have any questions on how to reach your $200 goal, do not hesitate to ask! The UNI DM leadership team is here to help. Our goal is to help you reach your goal.

Remember why you dance. Don't just say it, but live by it and Share Your Story FTK.