Everyone knows what Dance Marathon is. It’s impossible to go four years at Northwestern and not hear about the annual philanthropic event at least once. Now in its 32nd year, Dance Marathon, or DM, provides support for a primary and secondary beneficiary through having hundreds of students raise money and dance for thirty hours in the Louis Room at Norris University Center.

This year, the primary beneficiary of DM is the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative (PACPI). The program strives to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS in Chicago. DM’s secondary beneficiary is the Evanston Community Foundation. The program, which will receive ten percent of DM funds, was selected in 1998.

It sounds easy enough, but DM takes careful planning and organization to come together. PLAY sat down with executive co-chairs – Weinberg seniors Ben Woo and Cecilia Byrne – to find out the ins and outs of running Dance Marathon.

PLAY: What’s it like running DM?

Ben Woo: It’s a 24-hour job. It started for us in the middle of April last year and it’s going to the middle of April this year.

Cecilia Byrne: It’s the most rewarding experience at Northwestern by far.

BW: It’s such an interesting opportunity when you get to have something that you can give all of your time and talent and energy to, and for it to have one focus.

CB: And we’re just so lucky to work with such motivated and passionate people on our board.

PLAY: What’s different about DM 2006?

CB: We have 600 dancers and 400 committee members, so basically one-eighth of the campus is directly involved with DM 2006 on some level.

BW: Last year we had 500 dancers, and we increased the number to 600 because we filled up those 500 spots in four hours. There was just increased interest (among dancers and committee members). Last year we had to scramble to get 250 committee members to fill spots, but now everybody wants to help. It’s great.

CB: We’re also incredibly excited about our beneficiary, and it’s a really unique opportunity because our money is going to allow them to continue to exist. Without our funding, they would have to dissolve their organization.

BW: And it’s cool to know that no baby will ever be born again with AIDS in the Chicago area because of what we’re doing.

PLAY: How long have you guys been participating in DM?

BW: My freshman year I danced. Sophomore year, I danced and organized DM fundraising for my fraternity. Junior year I was merchandise co-chair, and this year I am executive co-chair.

PLAY: What was it that got you guys into DM?

BW: I lived in Willard Residential College. All of Willard gets involved in DM somehow. Every year there are between 100 and 125 dancers from Willard, so it’s like a fifth of everybody in the Louis Room is from there. I just got caught up in it. I love dancing. I love philanthropy. I like being busy. DM solved all three of those things.

CB: Even from when I visited the school, they promote Dance Marathon so much, and you just sense the energy around it from your tour at NU. It unites the campus like nothing else.

PLAY: Do you have anything to say to all the Northwestern students who don’t have any connection to DM?

BW: Whatever they want to do, we have a role for them. We have 12 different committees and even within those committees there’s a lot of variation, so pretty much anything someone is interested in doing, we have a use for. It’s great to be a part of something so huge and so meaningful.

CB: It’s really the best thing I’ve gotten involved with at Northwestern and I would like to share DM with more people.

BW: Come check us out. March 3-5 in the Louis Room.

– Emmet Sullivan