FTK All day, Every day |
For those of us who stand on our feet for 18– or 36 – hours at IUDM, we all have our motivations for going out of our way to register, dedicating our time and effort to fundraise, and staying on our feet way longer than humanly comfortable. During this season of fundraising, I encourage you to reflect on the true reason(s) you commit yourself to IUDM and the kids at Riley Hospital for Children as inspiration to keep you heading towards your goal. I asked a handful of IUDM participants, “Why do you dance?,” and compiled their answers for you here. Read on to refocus on the spirit of Dance Marathon and ready yourself for the quickly dwindling double-digit days we have left until this year’s marathon. “I dance for my little cousin Megan and all of the other amazing Riley kids!” “I dance to promote change and inspire others." "I dance because of the rewarding experience, and benefitting the children who have gone through more struggles than I can imagine. If I have the opportunity to give back, I am all in!" “I dance because I love how influential IUDM is on the IU and Bloomington community and because it helps raise money to help sick children and their families get better!” “I dance because I want to give back to those who need hope and those who might not have a chance to get better.” “I dance because it is the most joy fulfilling feeling when a bunch of people come together to love for people who they have never met.” "I dance to make a difference in someone's life." "The reason I dance is because I was involved in my high school's dance marathon (which is the biggest high school marathon) and I was really touched year by year with all the love and spirit from students coming together to raise money and awareness for such an incredible cause. I then decided to do IUDM because of how much I loved my high school’s dance marathon. I love to help people and make a difference, and to see a community of students with the same desire as me is why I dance- to make a change for the better." "I dance to remind myself of the blessings I have in life and not to take anything for granted." “I dance because it’s amazing to see what young people can achieve when we come together. It’s truly powerful.” “I dance so that the Riley kids know that we’re doing our best to fight alongside them and support them in every way that we can.” “I dance because I attended Riley as a kid and it was an amazing, amazing place.” "I dance for others who can't!" "I dance for my heroes: the Riley kids. I dance so that they can be the superstars. I dance for the smiles. I dance so that the Riley kids are able to be the superstars that they deserve to be for 36 hours a year. I dance for the families whose children/brothers/sisters know that they have endless support with the troubles they are facing or have faced. I dance for Ashley Crouse and her everlasting legacy that has changed the lives of so many people. I dance for the smile that radiates of Maison Kurmay's face when he hears his voice booming throughout the Tennis Center. And I dance for whoever is reading this, so you know that I'm here for you too, so that you know others are supporting you, I dance so that I can be a small part of an organization that makes the world a better place." No matter the differences that our reasons for dancing may have, everyone in the IU Tennis Center on that momentous November weekend shares one thing in common: we are all there For The Kids, and, for that, we will accomplish amazing things. FTK! Written by Meredith Baranowski
0 Comments
With many student's jobs and internships coming to a close this week, two IUDM executive council members had the opportunity to spend their summer at both Riley Hospital for Children and Riley Children's Foundation. Vice President of Finance, Allison Winstel, had this to say about her experience this summer:
Janaki Patel, Director of Riley Development, had the experience of a lifetime stating:
Wednesday, August 6th marked a big day in the IUDM Family: it was finally 100 days until IUDM 2014. 100 days until we dance in honor of Ryan White. 100 days until we dance to carry on Ashley Louise Crouse’s legacy. 100 days until we dance for the kids who can’t. I woke up with the same goal as everyone else on Wednesday, to raise $100 FTK. Paul Lannon (a fellow morale member) and I decided that a good way to raise money would be to offer to do any odd job or anything someone else didn’t want to do for a donation. A friend of mine, Samantha Miller, asked us if we wanted to do a power washing job for one of her neighbors in return for a donation from Samantha’s family. Little did we know, her neighbor has a child being taken care of at Riley Hospital for Children. At this point accepting this job was a no brainer, it would bring us closer to reaching our $100 goal for the day, but more importantly we would be helping a family going through more than we could even imagine. What we didn’t know at this point was that our power washing job would turn into a fun filled afternoon with one of the nicest, funniest, and most energetic 9 year olds on this planet, Aidan Brown. When we got to the Browns’ the whole “let’s power wash for a donation” idea quickly became the last priority on our list, and we started to become a part of something much bigger and more important than fundraising. When we met Aidan we sat on his stairs and talked about sports for probably 20 minutes until we realized we were just sitting on the stairs and could be on couches in the basement. We (Joe Chitwood and Samantha Miller also were with us) all fell in love with Aidan right away. The four of us just wanted to spend time with him and learn more about his life. One person would power wash while the other three would play xbox and talk with Aidan. Hanging out with Aidan was an incredible reminder as to why IUDM is so special and what IUDM is really about. Fundraising for IUDM is incredibly important, but when you take a step back and think about why you are dancing and who you are dancing for it always trumps the financial aspect of it. Because of IUDM we were connected with a family whose life isn’t “normal” per say. We were able to give them a normal day. The smiles on Aidan’s face and the energy he had reminded me why I dance. He reminded me why I will stand for 36 hours in 100 days. He reminded me why I will sacrifice my time for this cause. But most of all, he reminded me of the everlasting impact that the IUDM family can have on Riley Kids and their families. Aidan Brown is a 9 year-old boy with cancer who is being treated at Riley Hospital for Children. He is the biggest sports fan I have ever met and an inspiration to me. When I look back on the 100 day challenge I realize that it wasn’t necessarily about raising $100, it was about coming together as a family to provide hope for families in need. We all came together as one and raised an incredible amount of money all For The Kids. We all came together as one to provide hope and support for the Riley Families. Finally, we all came together as one, and now Aidan has a family supporting him that he doesn’t even know. We dance for the kids who inspire us. We dance for Aidan Brown. Written by Ryan Cason
Today marks 100 days until IUDM 2014. When the first committee meetings began in February, this number was 269. Since then we have seen success in the Annual Golf Outing and Spring Road Rules canning weekend, we have experienced joy with the announcement that one of our Riley kids is still cancer-free, we have made lifelong friends, and we have already made miracles happen FTK. Now, it comes down to the next 100 days, the final stretch. It is exciting, a bit scary, and inspiring knowing what we will accomplish in the next 100 days to surpass our goals, touch more lives, and stand together at IUDM for the kids. But, we will take one day at a time and gradually, then very quickly we will see the miracles come together before our eyes as the campus lights up with the spirit of Ryan White, Ashley Louise Crouse and the Riley Kids. While it is easy to want to think ahead to the next 100 days, I want to focus on just this 1 day, 24 hours, 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. One day might seem short in the scheme of life, a year or 100 days, but the magnitude of what can happen in one day is incredible. In one day at Riley Hospital, 247 kids were cared for overnight in the Simon Family Tower and hundreds visited the Riley Outpatient Center. In one day, over 45 surgeries took place and 121 children came to the Emergency Department. In one day, 53 babies were cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and the smallest one weighed only 1 lb 11 ounces. In one day, 21 Riley kids received chemotherapy and 16 tiny hearts were being carefully cared for in the Riley Heart Center. In this one day, these children were away from their homes, their friends, their schools. It takes just one day for a Riley kid's life to change when the doctors walk in with his diagnosis. But these kids are fighters. The amazing care at Riley gives each family hope that they will get that one more day, 100 more days, 10,000 more days to spend with their child. It means one more day to play in the dirt, one more day to celebrate a birthday, one more day to dream about what they will be when they grow up, and more more day to say "I love you" before bed. So then, what can we do in just one day? The potential of these next 24 hours is limitless and when the power of each and every IUDM committee member, dancer, alumni and supporter is put together, miracles truly will happen. So on this 100 day mark, the challenge is simple. We will each raise $100. This $100 represents the 100 days till IUDM 2014, but it stands for so much more. At the end of the day, it means we can look back and know that while it seemed you were giving one whole day of time spent FTK, it really means a lifetime for a kid at Riley. Written by Allison Winstel
Although it’s been five years since Casey Crouse participated in IU Dance Marathon as a student, his passion for the cause and Riley Hospital for Children continues burning strong. On Sept. 7, the 2009 IUDM president will compete in an Ironman in Madison, Wis. The money he raises through the race will go straight towards the 2014 IUDM total. Casey said he’s been competing in triathlons for three years and always wanted to step up to an Ironman distance. To train, he said he’s been swimming, running and biking “a lot” as well as taking part in other races. The Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and marathon run. But for Casey, the Ironman is much more than a race. It’s an opportunity to raise money For The Kids and spread awareness of Riley and IUDM. It’s also an opportunity honor and spread his sister Ashley’s legacy. Ashley Louise Crouse was killed in a tragic car accident in 2005 while serving on the IUDM executive council. To honor her caring spirit and positive influence, all IUDM apparel bears her initials, “ALC”, and the marathon is dedicated in her memory. “The entire (Ironman) fundraiser is open to anyone to be connected to Riley and with IUDM and just provide an avenue to give back,” Casey said. Casey’s goal is $50,000. So far, he’s raised $24,100. “I’m really appreciative of everything,” he said. “It’s all about just staying connected to DM. That’s my entire goal. It’s very comforting to know that I can be connected and help as an alumni.” To learn more and support Casey’s efforts, visit iudm.org/imforash. He also shares updates on his training through Facebook as well as Twitter and Instagram @caseycrouse with the hashtag #IMforAsh. Casey said even a little support - whether it’s donating money or simply spreading the word about IUDM and Ashley’s legacy – can make a big difference for his efforts, and of course, For The Kids. “Not everyone has the funds to give, but everyone can at least give the time and effort to this cause,” he said. “I’ll be out there doing everything I can.” Written by Alyssa Schor
|
Archives
March 2017
Categories
All
|