This weekend, Bowling Green State University held a Dance Marathon, a giant fundraiser benefiting Children's Miracle Network and our local CMN hospital, St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital. Dance Marathon is a weekend long event at BGSU (and a number of other College campuses nationwide throughout the year) where hundreds of college students volunteer to stay on their feet for 33 straight hours, or more 'For the Kids'! There are plenty of activities and lots of entertainment for the students, but you won't find a chair around! BGSU also hosts a number of 'miracle families', or families that have had children treated or being treated at a CMN hospital. The families and children spend time dancing, playing,and visiting with the students, and each family is paired with a team of students and get to know one another throughout the weekend. There is also an exciting part of the event called Bike for Tikes where a number of students are dropped off in Cincinnati, OH to bike over 165 miles back to BGSU in one weekend, riding 5-6 hours a day to help raise money for CMN. This year I was asked to speak at Dance Marathon about Miss America and our partnership with Children's Miracle Network and I finished by singing "Gold". After I spoke at the main event, I went to visit the families at lunch and in the designated 'family room' where I heard some great stories and made some new friends. I met one lovely mother of three, the youngest being treated for autism at our CMN hospital, who told me about growing up watching Miss America. She said every year, she and her siblings would get new PJ's and go to their grandmother's house to watch Miss America, where they ate snacks and each kept an individual score card until the new Miss America was crowned. She still loves watching Miss America and was a big fan of "Miss America: Countdown to the Crown" this year!
Not only was Dance Marathon a great time for everyone, but they surpassed last year's success by raising over $126,000 for St. Vincent Mercy Children's Hospital!
Congrats To BGSU DM, all of the volunteers, participants, and families!
