A sign hung from the ceiling of the Dance Marathon office Thursday night: “Exec Team, tomorrow’s the big day! We love you! — EZ.”

Led by Emily Wessel and Zack Hall, DM leaders scurried around Norris University Center between the Louis Room and their third-floor office doing last-minute preparation for the 30-hour groove fest that begins tonight at 7 p.m.

“DM is full steam ahead,” said Tanya Tschaikowsky, DM merchandise co-chairwoman and a Weinberg senior.

The 28th annual philanthropy event culminates this weekend and will feature speakers, bands and 500 dancers getting jiggy for a good cause.

“The thrill of it it all. The dancers. The charity. All of us have worked so hard for a year,” Tschaikowsky said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

This year’s primary beneficiary is the Chicago Urban Youth Scholarship Fund. DM established the endowment to help disadvantaged minority students from Midtown Educational Foundation in Chicago attend better high schools.

This is the first time DM has chosen a social charity, rather than a medical one.

DM again will give 7.5 percent of its proceeds to the Evanston Community Foundation, a privately operated organization that manages $1.7 million in local charity money.

Last year, the event raised more than $480,000 — most of which benefitted Friends for Steven, a charity working to research neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer.

Though the final total raised for the charities will not be released until early Sunday, close to the end of the festivities, Louis Room committee co-chairwoman Bria Day said the total is expected to be higher than last year’s.

Bright ideas

As of Thursday night, preparations were on track, according to meny executive board members.

“There are a lot of little things that need to get done,” said Adam Wu, alumni relations co-chairman and a Communication senior. “If they don’t get done, we’ll be in major trouble.

“But it’ll get done.”

Some DM committees are termed “30-hour committees,” while other groups complete their responsibilities before the event itself. Planners on Thursday were putting up the disco ball, contacting alumni, making bags of goodies for dancers and wiring the $45,000 lighting system — the most elaborate ever at DM — which the group rented for $4,000.

Chris Plevin, DM’s lighting director, said he is proud of the group’s work to lower costs for the event.

“When they all start up I’ll be happy,” said Plevin, a Communication senior, as he came down from the scaffolding Thursday night.

Arrangements for renting lighting equipment began in December, Plevin said. Rentals came heavily discounted or donated from six lighting companies, saving DM more than $40,000.

This year’s extravagant light display will illuminate the Louis Room despite problems fund raising for equipment in the floundering economy.

“We’ve pushed the building as far as it can go,” he said.

Plevin said he was uncertain about the ceiling’s limits last year, so he convinced Norris officials to hire an inspector.

“Well, do you have the $100 million for when this falls and squishes all the dancers?” Plevin said he told them.

Hall said after all preparations are complete, he is looking forward to — “more than anything else” — his 20-minute stint as a guest DJ during the event’s seventh hour.

pre-party preparations

Dancers are preparing for the big night, too, laying out costumes for the 10 three-hour themed blocks of dancing, such as “Superhero,” “Sports,” “One Hit Wonders” and “’80s.”

“I’m laying out costumes for each block, and I bought ear plugs and blister treatment,” said Carrie Kapnick, a Weinberg sophomore. “I’m trying to get some sleep and drink water and not go out too much.”

Kapnick also said she is looking forward to dancing with friends and seeing different segments of campus represented.

Beth Gianfrancisco, DM chairwoman for Jones Residential College, said she is excited about the bands scheduled to appear at DM.

“I know last year the bands were a little slow,” said Gianfrancisco, an Education sophomore. “They seemed to appeal to a limited audience.”

“Down the Line,” an acoustic-rock band from Chicago, is slated for 10:30 p.m. tonight. Alternative-rock band “Generation” is traveling from Orlando, Fla., for an 8 p.m. performance Saturday.

“I think this year’s bands will appeal to a greater audience,” Gianfrancisco said. “It’s good to have upbeat music for the whole 30 hours.”

Dancer Emily Hagan, a Weinberg junior, is taking one final precautionary measure.

“I told my parents ahead of time,” she said, “so they don’t think I’m dead or something.”