Hearts melted at Dance Marathon’s Valentine’s Day Party on Sunday afternoon, where students involved in the organization met children with congenital heart defects and their families.
The party drew about eight children and 60 students and adults to the Cohen Commons Room at the Technological Institute at noon. Many of these children were Heart Ambassadors of the Children’s Heart Foundation, one of the beneficiaries of this year’s DM. The off-white-colored room was filled with upbeat music and decorated with pink and red streamers, construction paper hearts, red tablecloths on the tables and pictures of children with congenital heart defects who had been helped by CHF.
CHF funds the research for the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of congenital heart defects. It is the country’s leading organization in congenital heart defect research, and CHF has already donated $3.9 million to 41 different research studies, according to the organization’s website.
Guests did not arrive until about 20 minutes into the party, and students swarmed the children when they finally arrived. Attendees, most of whom were members of DM committees, danced, played board games and Duck, Duck, Goose, colored and made Valentine’s Day cards. Throughout the party, the children’s smiles were coated with frosting from cookie decorating, and their hands were covered in paint from finger-painting handprints onto a banner.
Megan Foley’s children, one of whom is a Heart Ambassador, enjoyed themselves, she said.
“They really have fun with the Northwestern students,” the 41-year-old veterinarian from Elk Grove Village said. “Any time they can get paint or get dirty, they’re happy.”
Foley’s husband, Bill, is the executive director of CHF.
Attendees also watched performances by the a cappella groups Significant Others, X-Factors and Freshman 15. During Freshman 15’s performance, children and students played musical chairs while the group started and stopped singing at random points during the song “Be True to Your Heart.”
The party was thrown by DM’s Dancer Relations committee so DM participants could meet the people involved in CHF, said Jason Catanese, Dancer Relations co-chairman.
“People can now put a face on why they’re dancing,” the Weinberg senior said.
The idea for the party stemmed from a similar holiday party thrown in December. The party did not cost DM anything because Dancer Relations committee members were responsible for baking cookies and bringing decorations.
Communications senior Ilana Ramer said she attended the party because she wanted to meet the kids for whom who she is raising money and dancing. Meeting them makes fundraising more personal, she said.
“It’s nice to see the families appreciate what we do,” she said.
Michael Stuart said he is very appreciative of what DM is contributing to CHF. His two-and-a-half-year-old son Noah is a Heart Ambassador. The Valentine’s Day party was a great way to connect students and ambassadors and a nice place for the families of Heart Ambassadors to thank the students for their efforts, the 37-year-old commercial banker and Illinois CHF board member said.
The party was “so cute,” said Weinberg sophomore, dancer and Significant Others member Elana Jablon. “It’s a great time to bond with the people you are raising money for. And who doesn’t like cookies?”
