On Saturday March 22nd, hundreds of FM students gathered at the school for one of the biggest events of the year, Dance Marathon, otherwise known as DM.
16 enthusiastic and compassionate senior students represent the student body, and fundraise for Camp Good Days, an organization that provides a free, safe and fun environment to kids who suffer from cancer or leukemia. To reach the goal of $100 thousand, there are many sales and events throughout the year, but at DM itself, every attendee must bring at least $70 and is encouraged to fundraise more with varying prizes in return.
At this year’s check reveal, a staggering $145,021.39 was announced as the final amount, beating the previous record by over $20 thousand, shocking both engaged students and the event organizers themselves.
Before DM even happened, Student Council and the MCs did several sales in the foyer, drives and created an online page to raise money. They also organized events such as the Pink Out games and the DM Improv show, both of which had a significant return. The combination of all of these was what contributed a huge part to the final check.
To start off DM on Saturday, from 3 to 5 pm, a few fun events took place to engage students. Among these were a handball tournament in the two gyms divided into an underclassmen and upperclassmen division, in addition to a “Mario Kart” competition at the library. At the handball competition, every team gave it their all, which overall marked an extremely uplifting event for everyone present. All games were competitive, with the final upperclassmen match taking it up a notch, in which the “Quad Squad” emerged victorious. At 5, most students headed towards the cafeteria to grab some food from either Chipotle or Carabba’s while watching March Madness games and spending time with friends. Although it took some time to arrive and lines were very crowded, everyone was able to get their share of Chipotle. In fact, the line chaos was an entertaining event in itself, with people playing with balloons in the air, laughing with each other and talking about the most recent game scores.
Around 6, the House 1 gym turned into a DJ party and bounce house race. Student Council member, Marie Nicole Jazmin, said “Overall, it (DM) was all similar to what I expected. But, I didn’t know how big the bouncy house was going to be.” And indeed it was big, with friends competing against each other to see who could get to the finish line first. On the dance floor, the party was not any less exciting. Joy could be felt all around, and whenever any of the MCs showed up, it got even more exciting, with students making dance circles at points.
At 7:30, the dance performances kicked off. First, it was the step team, who made an incredibly eye-catching dance with the sounds that echoed throughout the gym. Then, the dance team performed a very well-choreographed sequence that also made students feel excitement all around. To finish things off, the MCs did their performance, which they have rehearsed countless hours for during the school year. Although it was the same as in the kickoff at the auditorium a few months prior, that did not make it any less fun for everyone who attended. With seemingly endless energy, the MCs did impressive stunts such as backflips, worm ground moves, jumping over each other and having incredible sync.
To close the night out, Student Council members came into the gym to announce the final check reveal. With heart-wrenching anticipation, the MCs’ expressions spoke for themselves once it was revealed that they raised over 145,000 dollars. Friends and family instantly ran over to celebrate, sparking emotional tears from all the hard work throughout the year. “It all feels so surreal, it’s just amazing, I feel amazing. I’m glad we were able to make such a huge amount and I’m so proud of the MCs for their work, and especially Student Council too. We went through a lot, and I’m just so proud of it,” stated Marie.
After a historic run, this year’s MCs are ready to say goodbye after all the time and selfless effort they have put in. When asked what advice she would give future MCs, purple MC Val said “Be friends, be friends with each other, don’t hate each other, don’t fight, just help each other out and you’ll make the most money out of that.” Marie also added “Make sure you have fun, it’s about having fun for the kids. Just keep working hard, do what your heart tells you. And, knowing yourself, keep your beliefs, keep your goals, let that guide you through all you do.” And that is precisely what DM and Camp Good Days are all about, staying true to your beliefs for a cause bigger than yourself and above all, having fun!
