This year marks the 30th anniversary of the IU Dance Marathon.
During the era of COVID-19, just as many things, the dance marathon will look a little different. The executive board announced the decision Aug. 10th that IUDM will be all virtual on November 6th to 8th to ensure social distancing guidelines and safety measures.
People from all over the country will be able to join the virtual dance marathon. Working with an external party, IUDM is able to put all of their normal in-person content in a virtual setting – such as prerecorded videos from Riley families and live streams.
Participants will be able to engage with one another as well as the virtual content posted.
For IU junior Britney Klotzsche, the IU dance marathon holds a more personal meaning.
“It’s definitely a different perspective being a college student involved in dance marathon, while actively receiving treatment from Riley Hospital,” Klotzsche said. “It pushes me to do everything that I can to be involved in the dance marathon and give people who don’t have connections to Riley a pretty strong sense of what Riley does and how it can help people our age.”
Klotzsche received open heart surgery at six months old and has been participating in the dance marathon since high school. Still receiving checkups at Riley every year, Klotzsche said Riley has always been a big part of her life growing up in that environment.
IU junior and IUDM committee member Britney Klotzsche shares more on her experience with IUDM while being a Riley kid, herself.
Since it started in 1991, the IU dance marathon haas become the second largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Last year, the marathon raised over $40 million for the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Ind.
With more than 1,200 committee members who work year-round to raise money, plan events and spread awareness – IUDM brings together more than 4,000 IU students who are on their feet for 36 hours to honor the Riley kids.
IU senior and IUDM Vice President of Internal Juliana Sherburne has been participating in the dance marathon since her freshman year to get more involved on-campus.
“I raised enough money to dance for 24 hours,” Sherburne said. “I got to the tennis center and immediately fell in love. Ever since, I’ve stayed involved.”
Sherburne joined the Morale committee her sophomore year, a director her junior year and is now the Vice President of Internal.
“I’ve gotten to see all aspects of the organization,” Sherburne said. “As I’ve gotten more involved, I’ve gotten to meet not only these amazing people who get involved with IUDM but hear the most unreal stories of the most positive people who have been through the most in their lives. Especially with the Riley families and doctors we get to talk to – hearing about the work they do and knowing we can do something to make their lives a little easier and a little better is really amazing.”
The IUDM Day of Hope was held virtually Sept. 24-25 and participants raised almost $500,000 through donations and funds raised by committee members, Greek life dancers and other student participants.
To learn more about the 2020 virtual IU dance marathon, visit www.iudm.org.
IU senior and IUDM vice president of internal Juliana Sherburne has been participating in IUDM since her freshman year and is now one of the main players behind the scenes to make the 30th anniversary of the IU dance marathon virtual.
