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BGSU to Host Nation's Largest Student Philanthropy

The University was approached by CMN a year ago about hosting the marathon because of Bowling Green's tradition of supporting philanthropic projects and its strong Greek system, said Charlotte Wade, public relations chair of the event and a sophomore from Fostoria.

Sponsored by the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Council, governing bodies of fraternities and sororities, the marathon is a 32-hour dance designed to raise money for children suffering from such diseases as muscular dystrophy, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, cancer, leukemia and heart disease as well as burns, birth defects and abuse.

"The great thing about the Children's Miracle Network is that 100 percent of the money we raise stays in northwest Ohio to serve area children," Wade said.

The proceeds will be used for research and equipment, education and treatment of children's illnesses at the Medical College of Ohio. The funds will also help pay for lodging for family members visiting their children at the hospital.

Campus organizations will sponsor students to dance in the marathon. "Although participants may feel pain or discomfort in meeting the challenge of dancing for 32 hours, the pain will eventually go away. The kids we raise money for experience intense pain everyday that sometimes never goes away," said Allyson Harris, director of the Dance Marathon and a senior from Akron.

Each organization participating in the event will be paired with a family, called a miracle family, whose child is a patient at MCO. This will give students "the chance to build a relationship with the families and see exactly where the money is going," Wade said.

The relationship helps to foster a sense of encouragement for both the students and the family, Wade added.

Bowling Green is developing its program similar to one at Penn State University which received national media attention last year for raising more than $1 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Hershey Medical Center.

"We want to make Dance Marathon a Bowling Green tradition," Wade said. "It will be a long-term event, each year raising more funds and awareness than the year before it."

The Dance Marathon committee is creating a partnership between the University and the northwest Ohio community. "One of our main goals is to build a legacy of community involvement and caring at Bowling Green," Harris said. "We want to prove to northwest Ohio that college students want to reach out and make a difference in the community."

For more information, contact the Dance Marathon office at 113 College Park, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402, or call (419) 372-0530.