The Loyola Academy gymnasium was crowded with 175 students dancing the night away for 12 hours straight to raise money for muscular dystrophy on January 13. Students held bake sales and solicited donations and pledges in support of MDA Summer Camp Illinois, a camp for kids with muscular dystrophy and related diseases.
This year marked the second time the dance marathon was held at Loyola from 6 p.m to 6 a.m. the following morning. The marathon was coordinated by dance educator Evan Hoffman and a leadership board of students, which met weekly from the start of the school year to put together the event, said Daniel Briggs, who chairs Loyola’s performing arts department.
On that Saturday night, the gymnasium was decorated with holiday lights, while colorful theatrical lighting flooded the floor where students boogied to popular music. The students were organized into 18 self-selected teams, each with their own color and t-shirt for the event. The teams each claimed a spot on the bleachers, which they decorated and camped out with blankets for the duration of the night.
The Master of Ceremonies, provided by Energy Productions, got the party started with group games, such as limbo and dance competitions. Students even had the opportunity to learn some new dance steps, when the Loyola Academy Dance Company led all 175 participants in a choreographed group dance.
Loyola Academy students kept the dance moves coming overnight to raise money for MDA Summer Camp Illinois. PHOTOGRAPHY BY Steve Donisch
Since staying up all night can be tough, even for a group of teenagers, the evening was filled with group performances and plenty of snack breaks. Loyola student groups such as Dance Collective, The Step Team and American Dance Beat all shared their talents during the dance marathon. A rousing and loud performance at 4 a.m. by the Loyola Academy Drum Line kept the energy going in the wee hours, and helped wake up the students for the final push to the finish line, which was celebrated with a balloon toss.
For the teachers who helped organize the dance marathon, it is yet another way to reinforce the school’s mission to encourage students to use their skills to help and support others. Last year the event raised $10,000, and Briggs anticipates matching that amount this year, once all of the donations are tallied.
“At Loyola we bring our skills into the real world so that students may learn through action and not just word. For the students, experiences like this will provide a spring board for which they will go and change our world for the better once they leave our care,” Briggs said.
