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In 1991, Jill Stewart started Indiana University Dance Marathon to commemorate the life of her friend, Ryan White, and his battle with HIV. Stewart met White during his time in Cicero, Ind., and thought of no better way to honor him and carry on his name than to create a fundraiser that raises money for children fighting infectious diseases. Ryan White passed away from an AIDS related illness on April 8th, 1990 and just over one and a half years later, in October 1991, Stewart kicked off what would become the second-largest student organized philanthropy in the nation—IUDM. In its first year, IUDM raised $10,900 and doubled the following year. In 1995, the organization broke the $100,000 mark, raising just over $140,000—a significant increase from the $96,000 raised in the previous year. In 2007, the students and donors of the marathon hit $1 million—a benchmark for the philanthropy. The marathon made history again in 2012, when $2.12 million was raised. Since its inception, IUDM has thrived, raising more than $17 million for the Ryan White Infectious Disease Center at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Ind. Riley Hospital is a Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) affiliate. CMN has raised more than $2.2 billion for 170 children’s hospitals in North America. Riley is a nationally ranked hospital and has been recognized year after year for its exceptional care. For its 2013-2014 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” U.S. News & World Report placed Riley Hospital for Children as a top hospital in the country for 10 different departments. This included but is not limited to: pulmonology as 15th, diabetes & endocrinology as ninth and urology as fifth. Live for today, dance for tomorrow is IUDM’s 2013 motto. Each year more than 3,000 students stand on their feet for the duration of the 36-hour marathon and dance for those who cannot. Almost 1,000 committee members work within 17 committees throughout the year leading up to the marathon to raise money, awareness and to create a sense of community. Selfless work, dedication and proactivity are just a few qualities of students, parents, faculty and donors that drive the marathon each fall. In November 2014, IUDM will be carried out for the 24th time at Indiana University and history will surely be made again. If you would like to learn more information about IUDM, please visit www.iudm.org! Written by Kassandra Chronis
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Whether you are exploring the world, testing out corporate waters with your internship, or working hard to save up money for next semester, summer is the best--yet most under utilized—way to get ahead on summer fundraising. When everyone returns to Bloomington and IUDM season kicks into high gear there will be roughly 80 days until the marathon. Year after year it’s obvious that the best fundraisers are the people who take advantage of the three (plus) months of summer ahead. Here are five ways you can kick of your summer fundraising: 1. Send out your letters ASAP If you haven’t done it yet, write your letters now! Once you have the basic letter down, everything else falls into place. Address your envelopes, grab some stamps and send them on their way. Don’t forget to include your Convio link for quick donations. Letters take half the time you ever expect them to, and pay off big time in the long run! 2. Summer Canning If you live in Indiana or the Chicago area, grab a bucket and head out! Just remember to email [email protected] to confirm the location, and be sure to check with the business! 3. Start a coin jar Set aside the change you normally accumulate and at the beginning of the school year turn it into the IUDM office. Every cent counts, and this is an easy way to add them up. You’ll get bonus points if you get your family or roommates to contribute too! 4. Sell your clothes Everyone has clothes they just don’t wear anymore. Instead of letting them linger in your closet, round them up and sell them back to Plato’s Closet. A few pairs of jeans you haven’t worn since high school could mean big bucks for your total. Same rules apply for garage sales and EBay! 5. Have a job? Whether it be saving 5% of every paycheck for your total or having your company participate as a corporate sponsor or corporate match, having a job can create another perfect opportunity to fundraise. If you don't have a job, donate time to do work for others and then put that money away toward your summer goal. There are plenty of people who would be more than willing for you to mow their lawns, water plants or even wash their cars 6. Check your email Throughout the summer, IUDM will send different canning and fundraising opportunities as they come up. Take advantage of as many of them as possible! Bonus: if you ever get stuck, or need help ask your fundraising chair or director for help. They’ll do just about anything to help you reach your goal, but they can’t read your mind. Have a wonderful summer, and happy fundraising!!! |
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