Dance Marathon, Northwestern’s largest annual fund-raiser, hits campus in 14 days, which means all registered dancers must submit their donations.
As the final money deadline approached Thursday night, each couple was required to turn in a minimum of $750 to dance in the event.
When the final check is presented to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at the end of the 30-hour marathon on March 6, the total amount raised will be revealed.
“We have a good idea where people are but also we don’t like releasing any totals until the end,” said Melissa Borschnack, a DM executive co-chairwoman.
“That’s just to really keep the main focus on the final result, and also philanthropy in general, not just the monetary figure,” said Borschnack, an Education senior.
The DM executive board has challenged its committee leaders to raise $500 each. Borschnack and Elaine Kanak, the other executive co-chairwoman, each plan to raise $1,000. Several other executive board members have already reached that amount.
“There’s 28 people on the board, so if each of them raises $500, that’s $14,000,” Borschnack said.
Most dancers have been registered since October, but raising $750 with a partner hasn’t been easy for some.
Madelaine Eulich, an Education freshman, found herself with hundreds of dollars to raise and very little time to do it.
“We had been planning on canning a lot, and we canned one day over winter break and made a fair amount of money in an hour. So we were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s easy,'” Eulich said.
Eulich found fund raising more difficult than she initially expected because of a busy Winter Quarter and some “slacking off.” In a last-minute effort to earn money, she sent out e-mails over several e-mail lists offering haircuts in exchange for donations.
“It was my gift to be a hairdresser,” said Eulich.
After about 15 haircuts, Eulich said she earned a significant amount to put towards her DM requirement.
Molly Hogan, a Weinberg freshman, isn’t dancing but found her own way to contribute to DM.
After seeing paintings Hogan had done replicating album covers of bands like Radiohead, her roommate told her she should sell her work in a Willard service auction.
“During the auction, there were three people bidding up to $150,” Hogan said. Hogan agreed to paint anything a buyer wanted. She eventually received $200 in an advance payment for the soon-to-be completed painting. All of the money will go to DM.
Reach Evan Hill at [email protected].
