UAlbany Dance Marathon Celebrates 10 Years of Support for Local Children’s Hospital
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 4, 2023) — The University at Albany Great Dane Dance Marathon celebrated its 10-year anniversary by raising more than $6,000 for the Bernard and Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center.
The 12-hour, student-led dance event was held in the Campus Center Ballroom on Saturday, hosting more than 200 participants and featuring performances from the UAlbany Dance Council and Own Your Movement.
The event is a part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon, which works with colleges and universities nationwide to raise money for local children's hospitals.
This year’s “2010s” theme (#iDanceForTheKids) was chosen by the marathon director and president, Brooke Horowitz, to pay homage to its start in 2013. Horowitz has volunteered for UAlbany’s Dance Marathon for three years and joined its e-board as president this fall semester.
“As a NICU baby myself, there is a special place in my heart for returning the favor of professionals in the field that helped me become who I am today,” said Horowitz, a senior biology major. “I am a part of the Dance Marathon because it shows me how willing my peers are to make a difference in our community.”
The event offered many stations for attendees to enjoy themselves over the half-day danceathon, including a bracelet-making station, a photo booth, a raffle, and DJ Syxx Figgaz who played pop hits from the early 2010s throughout the day. A student volunteer, Veronica Tribuzio, came to the event with her organization, Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity Inc., and posted her own balloon on the event’s gratitude wall.
“I’m dancing on behalf of my older sister who had open heart surgery merely a week after she was born,” said Tribuzio, a senior English major. “I know how much medical complications can affect children and parents. Families should not have to worry about medical expenses, bills and insurance, and I know how much this Dance Marathon helps alleviate those costs for families.”
The Great Dane Dance Marathon will continue to accept donations through the end of April. For donation information, visit Donor Drive.