What is BadgerThon Dance Marathon?
BadgerThon Dance Marathon is a student-run fundraiser for the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH). BadgerThon, a registered student organization at UW-Madison, hosts a variety of events for students throughout the year to raise support, awareness and donations for AFCH. These efforts culminate at the BadgerThon Dance Marathon each spring. Students gather and pledge to stay on their feet for 15 hours, overnight to celebrate the funds raised and to symbolize the fight children at AFCH put up every day. Patients and families attend and a schedule of events takes place including student group performances, a live DJ, inflatables and games (and of course a lot of dancing!)
What is a Mini Dance Marathon?
Mini Dance Marathon is a smaller version of the BadgerThon Dance Marathon at the University of Wisconsin – Madison hosted at local Madison area high schools, to benefit the American Family Children’s Hospital. High school faculty and students plan the event and decide the length and structure of their Mini Dance Marathon with assistance from a BadgerThon Executive Member.
Who plans a Mini Dance Marathon?
Mini Dance Marathons are planned by a group of motivated high school students who may be involved in other student organizations such as Key Club, Student Council or National Honor Society. A high school faculty member will act as the group’s advisor and be in contact with the BadgerThon Executive Board for coordination.
How can I raise money for a Mini Dance Marathon?
The fundraising ideas can be generated by the high school students to best accommodate the group. The BadgerThon Executive Board can assist with brainstorming and coordinating different fundraisers, as well. Some ideas that have been successful in the past include:
→ Miracle Minutes: At a sporting event, take one minute at half time to pass around collection bins to fans with an announcement about the cause.
→ Coin Drive: Host a coin drive facing home room vs. home room or grade vs. grade with a reward for the group that raises the most money!
→ Staff Jeans Day: With the approval of school administration, advertise “Staff Jeans Day” where teachers and staff can have a dress down day in return for a donation.
Typically, a minimum fundraising requirement is set for each person to participate. At BadgerThon Dance Marathon, each student is required to raise $100 to participate in the marathon. It is up to discretion of the school planning committee to set ground rules for this aspect.
How do I get my school involved?
In order to begin the planning process, please fill out the Mini Dance Marathon Application. The BadgerThon Executive Board will reach out to you soon after to solidify more details!
Why should I host a Mini Dance Marathon?
First and foremost, the American Family Children’s Hospital is a wonderful and worthy cause. Check out information about AFCH on our website and Facebook to learn more about the fabulous facility.
The process of planning an event like Mini Dance Marathon is a great way to develop leadership skills. A large amount of coordination and planning goes into putting on an event of this size and the student coordinators can benefit greatly from the experience. Additionally, this is a unique opportunity for high school students to work closely with university students and a chance for them to benefit from the mentorship.
Thank you to the following schools for your dedication and support to the patients and families at the American Family Children’s Hospital!
James Madison Memorial – On Saturday, March 11th, 2016, James Madison Memorial put on the first ever Mini Dance Marathon, raising $1,000 For Bucky’s Kids!