Although the fourth annual Dance Marathon for Riley Children’s Hospital does not start for another hour, the committees have been hard at work, some even sleeping on air mattresses in the school last night in order to finish decorating the gym.
“The committees started setting up right after school, and the girl room went to bed around 1:30 a.m. We got up at 8 a.m. and Mrs. Stansbury, Mrs. Martin, and myself made biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon for the executive committee,” said Katrina Uhl, one of the Dance Marathon Coordinators.
Only the executive members stayed the night, but others proved their dedication by staying late and coming in early to set up.
“I stayed until 9 and came in at 10 to prepare for the event,” said junior committee member Sydney Davis.
The committee’s main goal was to make sure the gym looked nice and all the booths were prepared.
“Staying the night here was awesome, we spent a lot of time putting things together to make it look great for today so everyone can enjoy themselves and have a great night since they raised money for the kids,” said senior executive committee member Tanner Cook.
Registration for FCDM is ongoing now. The event officially kicks off at 2 p.m. Check back for updates throughout the afternoon and evening for continued coverage.
By Peter Hyle and Will Huston and Christian DiMartino
Dance Marathon’s Freshman Luncheon has been reschedueled to Friday, January 24 due to bad weather. This is the first year the luncheon has been offered, and the Dance Marathon committees are hopeful that this will draw a larger group of freshmen to their cause.
By far, I think Dance Marathon is the most anticipated event of the year.
When our student body is dancing and having fun at FCDM our ears hear all these stories about the money we are raising to help out the individuals that benefit from Riley. There are different outlets Riley participates in besides the Dance Marathon. One of the outlets that I benefit from is Camp Riley. Camp Riley is a place where children with a wide range of disabilities can go camping without their parents.
At Riley there is wide range of activities for kids to do while they are there. Some of the activities are arts and crafts, archery, and nature walks. At each activity the campers are encouraged to try to be as independent as possible but help is there if we need it. I think what makes Camp Riley so different is that most of their counselors are medical students. The counselors get handson practice with many different types of medical issues. These in turn help them immensely with understanding their field of work.
For me, Riley is a place to get away from my parents. This is definitely the biggest perk for me. Being at camp makes me realize that I am not the only one out in the world that wants to experience opportunities that I usually would not be able to, because some are just too physically challenging. We all struggle with the same obstacle at Riley, which is not being able to experience the things we want to. Riley lets us see that we are not alone in our struggles.
When I was at Riley, my favorite activities were archery and talking to my counselors. The feeling of having a weapon in my hands was very liberating. Also, occasionally, when I hit a target, I get excited too. Archery made me feel empowered by the feeling of being able to sit down and shoot something that is extremely powerful. Talking to counselors was hands down the most enjoyable thing. When campers are there, we develop and grow relationships while at camp with the counselors because most of them are near our age. I also enjoy our conversations because they let me know what college is like and what I need to expect. So I guess you could say that not only are they mentors, but they are friends too.
Who ever thought a couple dance moves could could help so many people smile.
Saturday, Oct. 26, the Floyd Central Dance Marathon hosted the first ever Halloween Howl at the Galena Elementary School. The event was organized in support of Riley’s Children Hospital. All of the proceeds went to the Dance Marathon , which is being held next February. Throughout the night there were many events including Trunk r’ Treat, pumpkin painting contest, photo booth, costume competition, and a haunted house.
Many students who attended said they had a good time.
“It’s a great time to celebrate the holidays and help raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital,” said volunteer Wendy Ivey.
Ivey helped pass out candy at the Trunk r’ Treat while dressed up as Glenda the Good Witch from the “Wizard of Oz.” Ivey also mentioned that despite not participating before, she plans on helping out at next year’s Dance Marathon.
The majority of people at the Halloween Howl spent their time either listening to the bands play or taking part in the activities.
Senior Dana Frank, who dressed up as a rubiks cube commented on how she really liked the pumpkin painting contest, saying it was a good chance to be goofy and creative.
Others, like junior Brett Yeaton, who dressed up as the classic movie Dracula, enjoyed the haunted house most.
“It’s just creepier than I thought it would be,” said Yeaton.
There were also some events in which only a few people were competing. Those who had brave stomachs contested in Halloween Howl’s very own Fear-Factor.
Juniors Emily Shumate, Sequoia Bryant, and Lexie Byrd decorate a pumpkin for the contest. Photo by Peter Hyle.
The winner of Fear-Factor and member of Dance Marathon, senior Allen Truong, won a $25 gift card.
Truong mentioned his main concern related to the contest, “I feel like people are perceived that I eat weird [now.]”
The event’s Fear Factor consisted of a four course meal consisting of green peas in baby food, hot cottage cheese, Chocolate covered hard boiled eggs, and a plate full of crickets.
The final event of the evening was the costume contests. There were four different categories: Best male costume was won by freshman Louis Prez who dressed up like a hippy. Best female costume was won by senior Dana Frank who dressed up as a Rubik’s cube. The best group costume was won by a group of girls dressed up as Native Americans. Their de facto chief was senior Jackie Banet. Finally, the couple’s costume was won by senior Trevor Smith and his girlfriend, who dressed up as the couple from the movie the Sandlot.
If the Dance Marathon committee at first had any doubts on the success of the event, the feedback quickly put their minds to ease.
Banet said that overall it was a blast and she most enjoyed being with her friends and all of the Halloween stuff available.
Many students, such as sophomore Stephen Johnson, agreed with Banet and said that he would come back again.
“It was a really great time,” said sophomore Shannon O’Brien, “It really got me into the Halloween spirit, and now I can’t wait for next year’s event.”
FC will be hosting the Dance Marathon this February for the fourth consecutive year. This event provides games and activities in an effort to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital. To conduct an event like this requires well thought out planning and dedication. In order to make the fundraiser as successful as possible, the planning and preparations are divided into four different committees.
“We have the fundraising committee, which is in charge of fundraising money prior to the event itself to try and get the total up each year. We also have recruitment, which works on getting people to the event itself and spreading the word about what Dance Marathon is and what we’re trying to accomplish. The entertainment committee is in charge of planning the night, which involves creating a schedule and planning out all of the activities. And then of course there’s catering that provides us with all of the food and beverages,” said FCDM coordinator and English teacher Tiffany Stansbury.
Creating each committee and giving them a purpose was a large task to take on. But even more in depth was deciding how each group would be constructed. For the fourth annual Dance Marathon, there were 170 students who volunteered to be on staff. Unfortunately, not everyone could be accepted.
“It was certainly a nice problem to have,” said Stansbury, “But we had to have a certain amount of guys and girls, a certain amount from each grade, and then we tried to get an even amount of people who have been involved in previous years and people who are new to the staff.”
Each year the event is hosted, more students learn about the fundraiser and it’s success seems to build from previous years.
“I had so much fun at last year’s Dance Marathon, and I thought it would be an even better experience this year to contribute,” said sophomore Kristen Burger, new to the FCDM staff this year.
Even though the main event is not until the second semester, the committees are dedicating their time and efforts in advance to make as large an impact as possible.
“We sold Yankee Candles at the end of August as our first fundraiser, and we have so much more planned. The yard sale is on Sept. 28, and we have a Halloween Party coming soon in October,” said Burger.
For the other volunteers, the overall experience of being on staff is also a main reason they choose to dedicate themselves to the cause.
“I volunteered for Dance Marathon again this year because last year it had a big impact on my life. It felt good to be a part of something so huge and worthwhile. I was a small part in it but it was still a great opportunity,” said junior Lexie Byrd.
For the past three years, the FCDM committee has gone past their own expectations and raised more than their actual goal. To make this possible for a fourth year in a row, their new goal is to “Strive for Forty-Seven Five”, which is a couple thousand more than what they collected at last year’s event. On top of that, they are constantly thinking of how they can improve and give more back to Riley’s Hospital.
“We’re trying to get the word out earlier and take part in more activities throughout the school year. For us, Dance Marathon is a year-long process and we want to bring that to the school as well,” said Stansbury.
Editor’s Note: For more details on this year’s Dance Marathon activities, check out the Oct. 4 issue of The Bagpiper.
Official news source for Floyd Central High School
