Planners for an upcoming dance marathon hope to live up to the event's slogan - "making kids smile, maize and blue style."
"It is going to be incredible ... and really really exciting," said Deborah Wagner, who chairs the event's entertainment committee. Wagner said she is spending a lot of time choosing bands, DJs and campus singing groups for the dance marathon.
The event will be held Feb. 7-8 at the Indoor Track and Tennis Building. Participants will dance for 30 hours in an effort to raise proceeds for the Children's Miracle Network for the William Beaumont Hospital.
This will be "the first year ever of the Dance Marathon at U of M," said Bradley Holcman, LSA junior and the morale committee chair. Holcman's duties require keeping spirits high for an expected 150 dancers and volunteers.
To keep the audience pumped throughout the evening, Holcman said the spirit theme for this year's marathon is "Around the World Every Two Hours." Participants will dance to music from different cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds representing different parts of the country.
Holcman said he is excited about the New York portion of the marathon, when a ball will be dropped to simulate New Year's Eve in Times Square.
The Children's Miracle Network trained committee members on how to develop a dance marathon to directly benefit to a local CMN hospital.
Since the first dance marathon at Pennsylvania State University in 1993, CMN has focused on using the event as a means to raise funds and awareness.
Last year, Penn State's 4th annual dance marathon earned $1.51 million.
Evan Meyers, an LSA junior involved in planning the dance marathon at the University, said he hopes 150 participants will raise about $37,500.
"The purpose of the marathon is to promote a positive image for students on campus, to build a legacy of caring and community involvement, raise money for local kids and learn how to run a business with real-life challenges and experiences," said CMN Director David Facen.
Holcman said the event also will promote campus diversity.
"It will give students from all different backgrounds the opportunity to develop diverse friendships and have a great time with members of the university community," Holcman said.
Meyers said planners hope the dance marathon will become an annual institution.
"We hope the Dance Marathon will be around and increasingly successful for may years to come," Meyers said.
Information about the event can be obtained at www.umich.edu/~umdm or via e-mail at umdm.info@umich.edu. Participants will also dance on the Diag today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in hopes of raising money.
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