This past weekend, thousands of UI students danced for 24 hours at the IMU — without caffeine and without sleep — for a very special cause: to raise money for pediatric oncology patients at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.At the end of their 22nd-annual Big Event, there were tears, smiles, and cheers of joy as students revealed the final tally — more than $2.4 million raised … for the Kids.

This is a monumental achievement, and although their event is over, the students aren’t done — they raise money throughout the year through a variety of activities. They also volunteer and provide year-round emotional and financial support to families at the Children’s Hospital, quickly becoming part of an extended family of people rooting for Iowa’s youngest patients. 

Dance Marathon is extraordinary, and the students are enthusiastically making a major impact on the lives of patients and families at the Children’s Hospital.

Throughout the past 22 years, this group has raised nearly $19 million for the hospital. The money that members raise goes to a variety of patient and family resources, medical supplies, and more — but the group also is contributing toward a healthier future for Iowa’s children. Earlier this year, Dance Marathon committed $2.2 million through the UI Foundation to establish the UI Dance Marathon Pediatric Oncology Targeted Therapy Program. The gift will help the hospital begin to host clinical trials for pediatric-cancer patients whose cancer has not responded to standard therapies.

And that’s not all — Iowa students who are involved with this organization have made other significant gifts to UI Health Care. In 2008, the group committed $1 million to establish the Dance Marathon Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Research Laboratories, and, in 2011, Dance Marathon made a $5 million pledge toward the new Children’s Hospital building campaign.

I am in awe of what these students have accomplished. The UI Foundation wholeheartedly supports Dance Marathon and its impact on children treated at the UI Children’s Hospital.

It is deeply moving to witness the dedication of the dancers, as well as the courage and grace of the patients and families who benefit from their support.
On behalf of everyone at the UI Foundation, I would like to congratulate this year’s Dance Marathon participants, the leadership team, and all those who support them in their remarkable fight against cancer. I’m grateful for all you do … For The Kids.

Lynette Marshall is the president and CEO of the UI Foundation, a nonprofit organization and the preferred channel for private contributions that benefit all areas of the university.