Many of us have at least heard of Dance Marathon. For those who haven’t, Dance Marathon is a fundraising event where West Ottawa students stand for the kids who can’t. West Ottawa dancers will be standing for 6 hours on March 4th to raise money for the children at the Helen Devos Children’s hospital.

  It’s obvious that the money raised will greatly impact the lives of the families at the hospital, but it’s not all about the money. It’s about the experience for the kids. Ella and Libby are both patients at Helen Devos Children’s Hospital and attend Dance Marathon each year. They each wrote a letter about how they feel about Dance Marathon. It read:

  “I think that Hope Dance Marathon is amazing. I haven’t had so many friends there. Not just college kids, but patients too. Dance Marathon has the spark that brings everyone together. I know your goal is to raise money, but even if you didn’t raise a penny, I still would think it was fantastic. If you didn’t have Dance Marathon I wouldn’t have got to sing the National Anthem. Dance Marathon makes the kids who had a treatment feel like royalty. I love you guys and I love what you do. The only negative thing I can think about is when it’s done for the year. Thank you for doing Dance Marathon.”-Ella, 9 years

  “Dance Marathon means a lot, because all proceeds from the marathon go to a special program designed to make a child’s stay at the hospital more fun, or helping families deal with their illness. Plus, Dance Marathon is just fun in general! You’re team of college kids makes you feel really loved. The Dance Marathon in all the years Hope College has been doing it, has raised over 1.3 million dollars. And I know this year is going to be great!” -Libby, 11 years

  Although the kids talk about Hope College’s Dance Marathon, one can still see the impact that Dance Marathon has on these two kids’ lives. At Dance Marathon, we unify as one, find friendship, and support the kids and their families by dancing for them. None of these things can be given through money, only by actions, and that’s why YOU should sign up for West Ottawa Dance Marathon. You’ve got to read about the true impact Dance Marathon has had on kids, now it’s time to be the impact. Be the change.

  It’s not too late to sign up. You can sign up by clicking on this link: wodancemarathon.tk or by visiting Mr. Taylor in room A263

Remember WO, it’s for the kids.