For as long as I could remember, I wanted to complete a Dance Marathon; raise money for a good cause and see if I can handle being on my feet for 24 hours. On Feb 21st to the 22nd, I did just that.
That was me, one hour into dancing. Feeling good and feeling pumped. Each dancer had to raise a total of $150 and each moraler (a person who only danced for 8 hours) was asked to raise $125. I asked around, tweeted a few times and was somehow able to raise the needed amount. I had all these people cheering me, how could I not do this? It has always been a bucket list item for me and I was going to cross it off.
When we first got there, our team, the purple (and best) team, got to meet the little girl we were supporting with our dancing, Gracie. LOOK HOW ADORABLE SHE IS! She has had numerous surgeries on her cochlear implants and meeting her was just an honor in itself. When ever anything has to do with Children's Hospital, I can't help but think back all my family has gone through and how lucky we are. Thank you Gracie (and Gracie's mom) for sharing your story with us, I remembered it on hour 19 when I just felt like I couldn't go any further.
Left to Right: Me, Lauren and Amanda, Team Her Campus Cloggers (get it cuz we blog)
The whole journey was something I have never experienced before. Yes, you get tired, duh. Yes, you get hungry because the school gives you day old food that is cold and hard, duh. Yes, you lose feeling in your ENTIRE body, duh. But it something you can feel proud of. By the time it hit 7am the next morning, it weirdly felt as if I had slept for a full 8 hours and was ready to dance on. Even after the whole thing was over, mentally I wasn't tired but my eyelids would just not stay open! Hahaha Every time we had a meeting for the Dance-A-Thon, literally no one said, this will be the hardest 24 hours you will ever do or that it will take a week to recover. So I'm telling you now, it will be hard, you will have mini breakdowns during your dancing, the smile will fade but it will come back. You will live. 24, 48 hours of pain is nothing when I think back to all the children we were able to help due to our fundraising.
I also really got to see who was there for me during my roughest moments, I have no idea how Jess, our moraler for the last 8 hours, put up with me. I began shaking when my red bull filled body realized there was no sustainable food in me; I had no energy; and mostly, I didn't want to talk. God Bless her for putting up with me. I do have to admit that I did my best to stay in high spirits but it is really difficult when the only thing in your stomach is half a hard bagel with no cream cheese. I also had a number of friends stop by to help keep the dancing spirit alive. Big love to Alyssa for stopping by in the last hour to really help Amanda and I finish strong. As well Micah who not only danced with me for over an hour but went home (aka down the giant hill) to get me snacks and brought them back. I am forever grateful to him. Even though I am not apart of Amanda's sorority or any Greek life for that matter, they really took me in (especially her Big, Little and G-Little) making sure I was hydrated and that I wouldn't stop. Thank you for treating me as one of your own, DePhiE. This was a really challenging experience but with the help of a few people, I was able to really come out proud.
When we hit hour 24, they announced how much we had raised. Our goal was $150,000. We aren't Penn State's THON but it was a high goal for a dance marathon that mainly consisted of Greek life and has only been around for 10 years. In the end we raised, $153,067.99. All going towards the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. I have never felt more proud of myself and my school. It was absolutely insane going from traveling to NYC two weekends in a row, New York Fashion Week to this the following weekend. Some may say I'm insane but this year is turning out to be an amazing one. The only thing that would make it more amazing would be a job. (Fingers Crossed!)
Finally, I just wanted to thank this girl,
Amanda. Not only has she been one of my closest friends in my college career but somehow we always manage to do crazy stuff together. From getting lost on buses, to going to weird art exhibits, or waking up or staying up for a certain event or even dancing for 24 hours straight, I know I can count on her to just say "Let's do it." If there is one thing a person needs in their life, it is an Amanda. Not only is she clearly beautiful and smart but she is always up for a challenge and she knows what she wants in life (even if she doesn't think so) and doesn't let anything stop her. She is also the only one crazy enough to do stuff I suggest. Without her, I don't think I would have been able to finish this. So thank you Amanda and I know you are probably reading this next to me since we are in Florida on Spring Break together but just know I love you and I'm honored to have you in my life.
Enough with the sappiness. If you ever get the chance to do a dance marathon, do it. It is an accomplishment no one can take from you and something you will be amazed with after it is all over. With that being said, I don't think I could ever do one again. Watch my
vlog of it all going down,
here.
Keep dancing!
XOXO -M.S.
P.S. If you ever do one, bring extra socks, another pair of sneakers and an extra sports bra! You'll thank me later.
