The party kicks off 7 p.m. today in Fetzer Gym, and organizers hope the energetic atmosphere will carry the dancers through the event, where they will stay on their feet for 24 hours to symbolize the round-the-clock efforts of parents with sick children.
The Dance Marathon is the culmination of yearlong fund-raising efforts by numerous campus groups and events organized by the marathon committees.
The cause is the For the Kids Fund, which benefits the N.C. Children's Hospital. All of the proceeds from the Dance Marathon, including money raised by other campus groups throughout the year, go to the fund.
The money pays for various items for patients, and it pays utility bills and travel costs for parents.
Senior Shannon Saunders, operations chairwoman for the marathon, said the event relies a great deal on other student organizations to raise money. "Part of our mission is to unite the campus around a common cause," Saunders said.
Corporate donations pay for all the costs of the event, but even a portion of those donations goes to the fund.
Senior Scott Werry, head organizer for the event, said the Sept. 11 attacks and the slumping economy have not had a negative effect on the fund-raising efforts. Instead, Werry said, these events might have aided the efforts.
"We've been really fortunate because it's made public the need for service," Werry said.
Werry said he could not give an exact figure on the amount of money the committee hopes to raise this year, but last year the group raised more than $100,000.
