In 18 days I will be lacing up my shoes and putting on my sparkle tutu to dance for 13.1 hours for the kids. Now, you may be wondering what all this hype is about Dance Marathon, being from Indiana I have heard about it most of my life. Along side the Children's Miracle Network, Dance Marathon has come to be a nationwide effort to fundraise for local children's hospitals.
When I came to Mizzou I knew that I wanted to be a part of this organization, although it was newer at the time on this campus, I was determined to take my passion for kids and make a difference in their lives. Freshman year at then Mizzou Dance Marathon, I met multiple miracle families. These families have often been fighting for their children's lives and allow them to still be kids. This chance to interact with these families was my biggest motivation for applying for the next year.
In my sophomore year when I finally joined in to MizzouThon, I was blown away by the passion of those around me. I was then able to really get to know these families and kids the way I wanted to. Mizzou Dance Marathon changed their name and branding over to MizzouThon in September to recognize this focus back on letting the kids be kids, because that is what we fight for, the right to be a kid. Over the year I worked with dancers, families and leadership to fundraise my own personal goal of $1,000 which I surpassed by $411 and the overall fundraising of $201,322.68.
As I wrote on a post the day of the event:
Words cannot describe what happened when this number showed in-front of us. The moment when all the hard work, the time and the emails, the frustration and the amazing memories made it worth it. The sweat and tears were insane. I knew this year would change my life, but I never expected like this. I never really planned on make some of my closest friends and sobbing when I realized a few of them would be leaving in May.
This number showed and I ugly cried it out. We did things that seemed almost impossible, and we did it for the kids. The pain we felt was all worth it. The families deserve this moment, this love we have for them and the kids. Each and every person involved in this organization from Executive board to our dancers, they all made a difference.
Thank you to everyone who changed my life but, more importantly who change the lives of children in Mid-Missouri daily. Today starts MizzouThon 2016. LETS GO! *starts beyonce dance*
I never imagined MizzouThon becoming such a large part of my life. Unfortunately when I took a semester off from Mizzou I had to leave leadership, but my passion for the organization never faltered. This year has come around and I'm really starting to have the chance to fundraise the way I want to. When I was thinking about why I dance the answer wasn't clear... there were so many reasons, so many things that keep me on my feet during those 13.1 hours. But if I had to figure it out I guess I would say that the reason I dance is for all the hospital visits, the love and joy surrounding these kids, the time spent playing around and laughing at baseball games. Each and every one of our Miracle Kids and those who we fundraise for are worth every ounce of my time.
So on March 12, 2016 I will dance for 13.1 hours.
I will dance for more laughs.
I will dance for more birthdays.
I will dance for more futures.
I will dance for more miracles.
I will dance for the kids.
I ask that you consider donating to this amazing cause. If you do so, please know all donations are tax deductible and will go to providing a better future for all those here in Central Missouri. MizzouThon pledged 1 million dollars in 2014 over the next 5 years for a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the construction was completed this past fall. Every dollar, cent and hundred raised goes to making kids lives better here.
Below are two ways I am currently fundraising. The first is simply my Donor Drive, here you can make a one time or monthly donation to MizzouThon. This is a great way to donate! I will also link my Bravelets page. This is a website that fundraises through bracelet sales, and for every bracelet sold through this link, $10 will be donated to MizzouThon! Each bracelet sports the phrase "be brave" a gentle reminder when you wear it to the passion and strength that each of our Miracle Kids have.
Donor Drive: http://events.dancemarathon.com/participant/bina_
Bravelets: https://www.bravelets.com/bravepage/mizzouthon2016
Thank you in advance for any donations or even just prayers and good thoughts for the event!
Much love,
Bina.