College students dancing is nothing to call home about. College
students planning, organizing and participating in an event that
raises over a quarter of a million dollars for a good cause is
reason to call everywhere.
In a monumental achievement of philanthropy, 742 students
bonded, worked up a sweat, and danced in order to raise $268,831.31
for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
By staying on their feet for 26 hours, the participants did more
than raise money for AIDS research. They, and the thousands of
moralers and donors, showed everyone what a group of dedicated
students can do with enough passion and energy.
UCLA’s Dance Marathon has become the example that other
schools use when setting up their own philanthropic events. UC
Berkeley modeled its Dance Marathon directly after our version and
similar events have sprung up at colleges all across the nation
(including one across town).
UCLA should be paving the way for other colleges; the fact that
we do so in philanthropic endeavors should make everyone here proud
to be a Bruin.
As the event continues to grow both on a financial and
participatory level every year, there is great hope that this UCLA
tradition will flourish for years to come and become one of the
great legacies of this campus.