Dance Marathon announced Thursday that funds raised from the 2015 event will create 11 Starlight Sites for the primary beneficiary, Starlight Children’s Foundation, surpassing the organization’s original goal of funding 10 sites.

“We’re thrilled that Starlight has been able to take the amazing efforts of the NUDM community and translate them to supporting hospitals and families in our backyard,” said Weinberg senior David Ryan, DM 2015 executive co-chair, in a news release. “These 11 Starlight Sites will have an unbelievable, life-changing impact on hundreds of thousands of children in the Chicagoland area.”

The sites will span nine Chicago area medical treatment centers and will impact 477,865 children this year, according to the press release. Starlight Sites help patients by stimulating their senses and alleviating some of the stress that comes with being in the hospital.

Starlight received $836,489.57 of DM 2015’s fundraising total of $1,130,979. Treatment centers that will house new Starlight Sites include Evanston Hospital, Rush Children’s Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago.

“It’s emotional for me that as a community, NUDM did it,” Starlight’s DM 2015 liaison Cortney Szlemp said in the release. “Their impact will truly affect millions of kids for years to come.”

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