UNC, Penn State Raise Money With Marathons

Both schools will host dance marathons to raise money for charity.

Money collected at UNC will support the N.C. Children's Hospital, while money at Penn State will benefit the Four Diamonds Fund, an organization devoted to funding research on childhood cancer.

Started in 1998, the dance marathon is still relatively new to UNC students, but students at Penn State have been dancing for charity since 1973. Last year, they raised more than $3 million, according to the organization's Web site.

Christa Cavaluchi, entertainment chairwoman of the Penn State dance marathon, said it originally started as a 24-hour competition but has turned into a 48-hour marathon sponsored by the school's Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils.

Cavaluchi said she doesn't know the exact reason for the change. "I think the reason is because it is the longest," she said. "It's not documented why they decided to change from a competition."

Like UNC students, Cavaluchi said Penn State students raise money for the marathon by holding a 5K run and soliciting businesses.

She added that more than 250 campus organizations, including Greek organizations and the campus newspaper, also raise money.

She said planners hope that dancers can stay on their feet for the entire 48 hours.

UNC and Penn State are not the only two universities sponsoring dance marathons this year.

Duke University is holding a dance marathon March 2 to raise money for Caring House, a residence for cancer patients who are 18 or older.

Duke held its first dance marathon in 2000 but did not hold one in 2001.

Students involved with the Duke dance marathon said they are hoping it will be more successful this year.

"We really want to get it off the ground and get people there this year," said Kristen Kneier, chairman of Duke Marathon.

The marathon is being held as part of Duke's Krzyzewski-ville weekend that culminates March 3 with the UNC-Duke basketball game at Duke.

Kneier said dancers are required to raise $25 each, enough to fund a one-night stay at Caring House. She said the goal of the marathon committee is to raise enough money for 1,001 nights.

Kneier said the marathon will last nine hours and participants will dance in four- and five-hour shifts. She said the committee has planned several activities for the dancers -- including dance lessons and kickboxing. "They're pretty booked the whole time," she said. "They're getting a lot of dance lessons, which is really cool."

The University of Virginia and the University of Maryland-College Park also hold annual dance marathons that benefit children in hospitals.

According to the UVa. Web site, the 2002 dance marathon raised $111,879.43 for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit in the UVa. Hospital. Money from the UM-College Park fund-raiser supports the Children's Hospital of Washington, D.C.

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.