For 9 years UNC has celebrated the best one-night stand of its life.
The traditional 24 hours of gyrating bodies and group dances will feature a record number of volunteers gathering in Fetzer Gym for the 10th annual Dance Marathon charity event.
About 1,100 dancers and 300 moral-ers and other volunteers will participate - the first time dancer participation has surpassed the 1,000-person mark. Last year 674 dancers attended; the first marathon had just 100 dancers.
Event leaders have spent the year trying to avoid adolescent growing pains.
"We worked for six months to get enough food to feed 1,200 people," said senior Rob Sellers, overall committee chairman.
Several area businesses - including Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Harris Teeter and several pizza shops - will be donating food for the event.
And in past years, dancers stayed within two of Fetzer's gymnasiums. This year dancers will be able to spread out into the hallways between the gyms to play board games and read magazines.
"We just really tried to think outside the box this year and to not just follow previous standards from past years," said senior Elisabeth Cordell, publicity chairwoman.
"Because it is the 10th year, there is an excitement on campus that's really helped to increase participation from students to campus performing groups to visitors to special guests."
Organizers also have invited alumni from event committees of the past nine years to join in once again in the festivities.
