(Because of technical difficulties, i.e., no internet connection in Fetzer Gym, this blog post was unable to be posted in real time. Let us suspend reality for the five minutes it takes to read this post and pretend I am in the darkened gym, listening to the bumping beats blasting from the Dance Marathon deejay.)
Click “View All Images” to watch a quick slide show of the event.
4:20 p.m.
DM ‘08, a 24-hour charity event for the N.C. Children’s Hospitals, started at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. I arrived at Fetzer on Saturday with two hours and 40 minutes until all the dancers could sit down after 24 hours on their feet. This year marked the 10th anniversary of DM, and the volunteers succeeded in raising $321,938.53, which is a new record for DM. As I entered Fetzer, I thought back to freshman year when I participated in DM: the pain coursing up and down my legs, the group dancing and the 15 hours of sleep following the end of the event.
This year’s theme was “Going out of the world for the kids,” and the hall leading to the gym was wallpapered in black paper and handmade cut-outs of UFOs and aliens. There was an award ceremony taking place when I arrived, followed by the group dance. Every year the DM coordinators create a group dance to which DM participants sing and dance at least once an hour. This year, the coordinators penned a song to the tune of “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” by Britney Spears, and they rewrote the lyrics to relate to DM:
Now don’t get lazy / Stay on your feet / 24 hours who need sleep / It may be crazy but it feels so right / Dancing for the kids we’re staying up all night.
The lyrics were projected on two huge screens, complete with instructions for a dance break, just in case the dancers forgot they were part of a marathon of dancing. Yeah, right.
4:36 p.m.
Clearly, it is time for a dance contest. I could not believe how energetic these dancers were after being up for so long. It was probably a combination of delirium and coffee. As the dance contest went on, I noticed one dancer stretching and took the opportunity to ask her some questions about DM. And then I convinced her to do the worm for me.
Katie Trapp is a sophomore and second year participant in DM. This year, she raised $400 for the children, and she says, “I go to church with a couple of kids who were helped by Dance Marathon.” During our conversation, she casually mentioned that Will Ferrell came to visit the dancers at DM after his Friday night performance at the Dean Smith Center. Reason number 435 as to why I love Will Ferrell. And what is Trapp’s favorite song to dance to? Apache. Trapp also says that the hardest time, in terms of feeling tired and run down, was between 1 and 2 p.m., and she currently was sore and feeling delirious.
The combination of staying awake all night and remaining on your feet can be painful and not a recommended activity. Studies show that sleep deprivation can cause a number of problems, including memory impairment. After scouring the Internet for tips on staying awake all night, most news articles had the same advice: don’t. I did find different blog articles about staying up all night, and a fellow WordPress.com blog, had some good advice, such as limit caffeine intake, snack regularly and listen to music.
The occasional all-nighter, however, will not be too detrimental to one’s health, especially when it is for a good cause such as DM ‘08. The benefits of acts of kindness, as discussed in an earlier post, might make up for the health risks.
5:20 p.m.
I leave Fetzer at the beginning of family hour, at which point families of the DM recipients come and express their gratitude to the dancers. At the end of the 24 hours, when Trapp and the other can go home, shower and finally sleep, they will know they helped out many deserving children.
