Dance Marathon at LSU entered its third annual fundraising competition, “Beat Bama Week,” with The University of Alabama Miracle Network Dance Marathon on Sunday. The fundraising began Oct. 30 and will continue until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 4. Total contributions will be announced on Saturday, before the football game between LSU and The University of Alabama starts.
The proceeds from the University’s fundraiser will benefit Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, Baton Rouge’s local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
“We fundraise all year long, but this week in particular we do a competition between the two schools,” said Warren Travers, external director for Dance Marathon at LSU. “Throughout the week, we do different fundraising opportunities and just fun games throughout [Free Speech Plaza] that the students can get involved in.”
The fundraising events Dance Marathon at LSU has scheduled include students getting their fortunes read, a benefit concert at Barcadia, a proceed night at Walk-On’s and more. The full schedule for “Beat Bama Week” can be found on Dance Marathon at LSU’s Facebook page.
In 2015, the first year of the fundraising competition, The University of Alabama Miracle Network Dance Marathon beat Dance Marathon at LSU. Last year, LSU won with a collective total of $66,041.93, $46,039.42 of which came from Dance Marathon at LSU.
“This year is kind of like a big rivalry because the record is tied one to one … between the two dance marathons,” Travers said.
Besides individual donations, the best ways for students to fundraise are to join Dance Marathon at LSU or attend the benefit concert at Barcadia on Thursday night, Travers said.
To join Dance Marathon at LSU, visit www.dmatlsu.org and select “Join.” The Big Event, a 26.2 hour-long fundraiser, for Dance Marathon at LSU happens Mar. 24-25, and those interested in assisting can find more information on Dance Marathon at LSU’s website.
Dance Marathon at LSU is an extension of Miracle Network Dance Marathon, which “is a movement benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals across North America,” according to the organization’s website.
Miracle Network Dance Marathons have raised more than $150 million since their founding, while Dance Marathon at LSU has fundraised more than $280,000 for OLOL Children’s Hospital.
“We challenge our participants to fundraise [a certain] amount or to get one other friend to join [Dance Marathon at LSU],” Travers said. “Everything we do, we try to steer it going back to being like a champion — either that’s like a champion for yourself or for the kids.”