TO THE EDITOR:
In response to Friday’s editorial, “Going further for the kids: UNC Dance Marathon is impressive but could do even more,” there are several false criticisms I wish to address.
This article reflects a lack of research and basic understanding of the organization’s overall mission, and it’s extremely disheartening to see the yearlong efforts of Dance Marathon being reduced to a mere monetary total.
UNC Dance Marathon has continued to top its fundraising total each year for the past several years. In my opinion, this in no way reflects a “lack of diversification” in fundraising.
In fact, it reflects the complete opposite scenario. This year, Dance Marathon reached out to more communities than ever before and drew in funding, support and various new partnerships from communities all across the state.
As a member of the outreach committee, I was able to witness firsthand the eagerness of new sponsors to participate and make a difference in the lives of others without expecting a dime in return. As indicated by the fact that nearly $50,000 more was raised this year than last year, I would deem the efforts of the marathon a success by any numerical standard.
To say that the organization has failed to seek new funding opportunities is a complete fallacy and undermines the efforts of those who work to provide support for N.C. Children’s Hospital.
Finally, while achieving high levels of financial support is one of the many goals of Dance Marathon, it is certainly not the most important. Whether we raise $10 or $10 million, our success is based on the difference that the generosity of the participants makes in the lives of the hospital’s patients and their families. It’s about students who choose to selflessly give up hours of their time that could easily be spent on more immediate and self-gratifying activities.
Dance Marathon is not a race between schools to see who can raise the most money or recruit the most students. It is about compassion, which continues to motivate the organization to be better each year, not an arbitrary statistic.
Katie Barbee ’13
Journalism and Political Science
