What is Morale?

My first year of Dance Marathon I had no idea what Morale was except that I got to pick a Morale captain. I have now arrived at my last year at UNI and am a Morale captain myself! I’d like to give a little insight about what Morale is, does, and then hopefully you will seriously consider applying to be a captain next year!

Coming from a new Morale captain I would describe Morale as a team that is very passionate about being for the kids. The team does this by making others aware of the organization and what it can do for a person. We recruit and manage a team of dancers, attend givebacks and events, connect with miracle kiddos and their families, and spread the knowledge of Dance Marathon on and off campus. Spreading awareness of the organization and what the kids are going through is ideally what every dancer should do!

When asked to describe what morale is at UNI Jaylee, a dancer for the second year stated,“Morale is the group that keeps everyone in good spirits. Whether you’re stuck in a fundraising slump, have any questions, or need a reminder of why we dance, morale is the group to support you. We couldn’t make it through the year without all of our morale captains!”

No matter what the technical definition of morale is, it is a vital part of our organization. This team of forty students would not be as strong or passionate without each and every one of our miracle kiddos and our dancers. We are constantly recruiting new dancers, fundraising each and every day leading up to the big event, and creating a stronger bond with miracle families.

The biggest part of Morale that I didn’t know coming in as a captain is how much you actually get to interact with the families. We don’t just provide financial support for them, we provide emotional support as well. Getting to know each of them, what they’re going through, and how they are getting through it is amazing. We are helping each and every one of these families. Morale is there to help connect the families with the rest of the organization.