JONAH LAGRANGE/THE CREIGHTONIAN

During Creighton’s annual Dance Marathon gave students the opportunity to fundraise, dance, and hear miracle childrens’ stories, all while supporting Children’s Nebraska’s Cardiac Care Unit.

Dance Marathon is one of Creighton’s most cherished traditions. Every fall, Creighton’s students partner with the Children’s Miracle Network to help raise awareness and funds for the Nebraska Children’s Hospital, which is part of CMN’s network of 170 nonprofit children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada. These funds help to support the families of children whose lives have been affected by life-threatening illness. This year, spurred by the wild-west theme and fitting slogan, Creighton again had the opportunity to “saddle up for something greater.” 

This year, Dance Marathon raised funds for the cardiac care unit at Nebraska Children’s Hospital. Many families who received care at Nebraska Children’s, especially in this specific wing of the hospital, attended Dance Marathon and shared their stories with us. As a student body, we are so honored to celebrate these families and their children. Their overwhelming strength, overcoming impossible situations with grace and joy, is absolutely inspirational.  

The team behind the Creighton Dance Marathon team was committed to fundraising for weeks in advance of the event. There was a blood drive on campus which gave students the opportunity to donate something that was not monetary yet could still save lives. There were also local partnerships with Chipotle and 7Brew to help fundraise, as well as a knockout basketball tournament during banner painting for the event. 

Saturday, Oct. 24, saw a 10-hour celebration full of dancing, vendors, a raffle, live performances, activities like a ball pit and a mechanical bull, as well as great food. Creighton students, staff and the miracle families all took part. The miracle kids could sing and dance to their favorite songs. Young children could hang out in the ball pit. Students and miracle parents could take pause and have meaningful conversations. The goal for the day is to make a sizable donation, but the impact of Dance Marathon goes beyond dollars.   

Isabelle McMahan, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, says that her “favorite part of Dance Marathon was meeting Finnley [one of the miracle kids] and getting to do a dance competition with her. I loved seeing how she lit up with so much support and doing her favorite dance!”  

Erica Popp, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences who helped to organize the event, said, “Dance Marathon goes well beyond simply raising money for such an amazing cause. It creates lasting connections between miracle families and the Creighton community. It is a day to celebrate everyone around us and let kids be kids! Meeting the Freshman Leadership Program’s miracle child, Finnley, was one of my favorite parts. Hearing her story and being around her contagious joy left a lasting impact on me and I can’t wait to dance all day again next year!” 

Julia Abraham, a sophomore in the Heider College of Business, said, “as a business management student with a strong passion for social work, I see Dance Marathon as a powerful example of how leadership, community involvement and compassion can come together to create meaningful change. Behind every dollar raised is a child, a family and an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.” 

In total, Creighton Dance Marathon raised over $120,000 for the cardiac care unit at Nebraska Children’s Hospital. We hope that these fundraising efforts help provide families with children in crisis with the best quality care and support resources. We want to extend a huge thank you to our miracle kids Isla, Hope, Lawson, Sylvi, Finley, Ella, Ryker, Everleigh and their families for spending the day and sharing your stories with us. It was a genuine pleasure.