Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan (DMUM) is a non-profit, student organization, with the initiative of raising funds and awareness for pediatric therapies at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. These therapies help children cope and harness skills that improve their quality of life, such as music therapy, adaptive tree climbing, martial arts, and yoga. Through DMUM’s fundraising efforts, the Little Victors at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital can access these therapies for free!
“We fund therapies that don’t feel like therapy, and that makes a big difference to a young kid dealing with an extended stay in the hospital,” DMUM K-12 Engagement Chair Sydney Peters said. “Community members have the chance to interact with and support these patients at some of our events, and their donations allow these therapies to continue year after year.”
In addition to the various volunteering and fundraising efforts, DMUM hosts one of the largest events on campus, an annual end-of-year VictorThon. VictorThon is a 24-hour event, where members of both DMUM and the community stand and show their support for the Little Victors and their families. Its “no sitting, no sleeping” policy serves to show member’s dedication to the kids at C.S Mott Children’s Hospital, as well as to celebrate the work of the organization. This event was first held in 1998– after Michigan alum Inder Singh became inspired by other Dance Marathons throughout the United States. The first VictorThon raised $35,000 for Beaumont Children’s Hospital. Since then, VictorThon has been held annually for 27 years, including a Virtual VictorThon during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising a total of over $7 million.
“It is really heartwarming to watch it all come together at our end-of-year celebration, VictorThon, and realize that as a group of busy college students, we were able to fund the salaries of multiple therapists, purchase adaptive vehicles, and overall make a huge impact to improve the quality of life for the Little Victors,” Peters said.
The 2024 VictorThon was held from April 6-7 in the Oosterbaan Field House and saw much success. VictorThon’s Community Carnival, a free event open to the general public consisting of games, snacks, music, and fundraising efforts, experienced a huge turnout with much support from the Ann Arbor community. Additionally, many appearances were made by VIP guests and speakers throughout the 24 hours, such as the university’s President Santa Ono, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, University of Michigan’s football Coach Sherrone Moore and running back Donovan Edwards, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Chief Operating Officer, Luanne Thomas Ewald, President of University of Michigan Health, Dr. David Miller, Miss Michigan USA 2023, and pediatric therapists. Over the course of the year, DMUM raised over $200,000, thanks to the work and support of its members and community.
“This year, VictorThon was wildly successful!” DMUM Communications Director Charlotte Kehrberg said. “This is the second full 24-hour stand-a-thon we have had as an organization since the beginning of the pandemic, and it was so clear just how much we have grown within the last year.”
DMUM encourages everyone in the community to get involved, including high school students! The K-12 Engagement Committee works to create mutually beneficial relationships with schools around the Southeast, MI area and to provide volunteer and fundraising opportunities for all students.
“We encourage local high school students to get involved by showing up,” Peters said. “DMUM hosts various community engagement events throughout the school year that high school students are welcome to attend, including a Halloween carnival, PJ Party, and 24-hour stand-a-thon. These events are an amazing opportunity to see what DMUM is all about and meet some of the families and Little Victors who benefit from the pediatric therapies we fundraise for.”
“Not only is the work that Dance Marathon does magical, but the community builds it too,” Kehrberg said. “You will never meet a more caring, funny, welcoming group of people, and I can only hope that everyone gets to experience a community like this in their lifetime.”
DMUM will continue to raise critical funds for pediatric therapies at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital again next year, culminating with the 28th VictorThon in April 2025. To learn more about their mission and ways to get involved, visit @dmatum on Instagram or https://dmum.org.
