A new group called Elizabethtown College Dance Marathon club has begun for students to work together toward raising awareness and money for the Angel 34 Foundation for pediatric cancer. Although Elizabethtown College seems to have an ever-growing number of clubs on campus each year, this club is different than the usual fitness or religious clubs that are formed. Because the group was just formed, they are still working on brainstorming different ways to raise money.
The club was founded by a student who transferred from Purdue University to Etown and was inspired by the dance club at her previous school. She and a few close friends joined together to start up the dance marathon group because they believe it is something fun to do while also helping others. “It will further support the college’s motto ‘Educate for Service’”, vice president and sophomore Caitlyn Whirt said.
Along with Whirt, first-year Beonca Brown, treasurer, and sophomore Joe Hernandez, historian, are the other leading members of the club. Since they are new to the school, they are still in need of two more members to fill the president and secretary positions. When the leadership roles are filled, the organization will be able to plan faster and think of more ideas for ways to host events and fundraisers.
Inspired by Penn State’s THON, they are planning to create a miniature version of their club in the College community. The club’s main goal is to work together to raise money for pediatric cancer patients by gathering the community to help fight for the cause. A smaller goal of theirs is to first gain more members so there are more to help.
Since many other schools have started a tradition of mini-thons, the Dance Marathon is continuing the trend by working the same way THON does.
“Since THON is well established, we are looking to it for the means to create and start up a mini-thon here,” Whirt said in reference to how THON inspired their idea to start a club at Etown.
In comparing the mini-thon with Penn State’s THON, both revolve around the same concept of raising money for a certain organization.
However, Dance Marathon has chosen a different organization, Angel 34, to support in the fight against pediatric cancer. Another difference between the two clubs is the fact that since Dance Marathon is just coming together, they still have many connections to make and a lot of work ahead of them. The Etown organization hopes to grow into a major club on campus and prosper into something big in the future.
They are striving toward becoming at least half the size of the group THON is and form a tradition for everyone to participate in over the years. Being new this semester, their priorities are to gain a decent number of members to form events and to make themselves more widely known throughout the community.
As far as fundraising goes, they have been brainstorming different ways to raise money, but have not done so yet, as they are just starting. After the process of gaining full-time members and ideas has been carried out, the group will have a clearer direction on how they plan to raise money. They have already begun going through a lot of planning, but now the group just needs to concentrate on what their next steps are moving forward.
“We are looking to hold many different fundraisers and to gain donations from the community, businesses, and at the event”, Whirt said. When the events are planned and set in stone, the club will be able to see how their plans have gone through and what results have come from the fundraisers.
Dance Marathon seems to be moving in a positive direction and once they stabilize and meet their needs, they will be able to focus more on events. This organization has a great cause, and once they become a completed community, their hard work will pay off by becoming a wide-spread group to spread awareness and obtain donations for those in need.
The club is open to and in need of new members. If you are interested in becoming a part of Etown’s Dance Marathon Club, contact Caitlyn Whirt at CWHIRT@etown.edu for more information.