HootaThon: my newest adventure!

As many of you know, my most amazing older sister Kiersten partakes and helps run BuckeyeThon, Ohio State Universities Dance Marathon for Children's Miracle Network. The money they raise goes towards Nationwide Children's Hospital. Kiersten does amazing things with BuckeyeThon and has inspired me for years about Dance Marathon!

She has inspired me so much, in that I have created a Dance Marathon for Temple University. Their First Dance Marathon. For any of you who don't really know about Dance Marathon or HootaThon, this is what I have been sending out to all our interested students: 

HootaThon is Temple University's first Dance Marathon. A Dance Marathon is a student-run philanthropy event held on campus once a year, but the overal cause is a year long project. We lead fundraising events and awareness, as well as activities with the children at CHOP, all throughout the year. This is all leading up to our twelve hour event, where we stand on our feet for all those kids who can't. We dance for twelve hours to celebrate the lives we've saved and to remember the lives we've lost. It is a time for the families to have a day to celebrate the life of their kids, and a time for their kids to enjoy themselves and not have to worry about the tests, or hospital beds, or when they might be sick again. 

It is our time to celebrate for everything we have done throughout the year. Everything we've done to raise money for CHOP and everything we've done to come together as a university. 

Dance Marathon's happen in over 170 high schools and colleges across the country. They raised over 50 million dollars in 2011 alone, and have made record-breaking numbers in money raised for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals around the nation. 

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been ranked one of the nation's best children's hospital in the country. Our money raised would be going to the Child Life department at CHOP. This would benefit for activities and crafts that the kids will do together. These activities help the children feel like they're at home while living in a hospital. It makes them feel like a kid when they're surrounded with the aroma that hospital's have. 

With connections through Kiersten, I have met Katie Gillespie, who is a sophmore at Temple. Katie and I are Co-Presidents of HootaThon. Through the spread of word and friends, HootaThon has made amazing progress since I started it here at Temple. 

In September, I held an informational meeting about HootaThon, just to see how many students would be interested in starting a Dance Marathon at Temple. Surprising, shocking, and exciting for me, I had over fifty students show up at this meeting. FIFTY!! 50!!!!!

It was an incredible meeting, and from the fifty, thirty five came up after the meeting saying they were interested in being on a committee. From those thirty five, thirty three handed in their committee interest forms! This was an incredible feeling that I had. 

Since this meeting in September, Katie and I chose committee chair's for our seven committees as well as two vice presidents. We have already held an Executive Committee meeting, and each Committee has held their own meeting. So far in our organization, we have over seventy students involved. This is incredible!!! 

Katie and I went last friday to register as a student organization, and are most likely going to get approved! (just haven't gotten the verification e-mail yet)!!! On friday, the some of the Executive Committee went on a trip to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). This was awesome. It was an amazing experience to actually see the hospital that we are going to raise money for. 

Jane Mittelman (Event Operations Chair); Melynda Link (Hospital/Family Relations Chair); Emily Dabashinsky (Vice President); Jenn Gayman (Fundraising Chair), Bailey Fuentes (Finance Chair); Bridget Clawson (Dancer Recruitment Co-Chair)

[not pictured, Katie Gillespie (Co-President); Katey Steinberg (Vice President); Steven Reichardt (Morale Chair); Naomi Makishi (Marketing/PR Chair); Mack Meyer (Dance Recruitment Co-Chair)]

thought this was a pretty snazzy picture! (:

We are going again in two weeks to do a craft with the kids, and we are SO excited about that!

I'm happy to answer any questions you have about HootaThon. Our donar drive is not set up yet, but once donations are able to be accepted, I will be sure to let you know!!! 

Thanks again for your constant support in everything that I do. It always means so much to me!