Dance Marathon has been an opportunity for USC students to "get down," "boogie," "shake a tail feather" and do all the other things your weird aunt tells you to do at family weddings, but instead of placating your buzzed relatives, dancing at Dance Marathon raises money for children in need.
The famously exhausting event has previously promised 24 straight hours of dancing. There is no sitting and certainly no sleeping. Previously, this charitable event may have seemed like a wheezy, sweaty, overly aerobic nightmare, but Dance Marathon has decided to cut the 24 hours in half and only go for 12 hours.
We think that by reducing the time commitment, then more people will be willing to dedicate time to raising money "For the Kids," as is the Dance Marathon's mission.
Not many busy college students can dedicate an entire day to dancing. Nor are many sleep-deprived college students looking to go 24 hours with physical activity in lieu of sleep.
While the original idea of the 24 hour dance cycle is to represent the exhaustion felt by children fighting for their lives every day. While there may be a shift from this idea, the shorter time will make the event more accessible for more students, giving the event way more fundraising potential.
As with all things, this time cut is what the participants make it. The only way these fundraisers can be successful is with the passion and dedication of the students. USC has done amazing things with this fundraiser in the past, last year raising $318,649 for the Palmetto Children's Hospital.
This could be another banner year for USC's positive impact on the community. By reducing the time commitment, more people are able to participate in Dance Marathon, for the kids.