One cause, 24 hours, 2,500 participants, and 1,068,358 dollars raised — that is how they do it at UGA, ladies and gentlemen.
Over the weekend, the University of Georgia Miracle 21st annual Dance Marathon raised over a million dollars for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which almost doubled last year’s $650,000 fundraising total and surpassed this year’s goal of $1 million. At the close of this outstanding event, $1,068,358.16 was the number participants and patients could see towering over them in Sanford Stadium. If you weren’t crying at this point, you were definitely in the minority.
R.L. Bell, UGA senior said, “This is what happens when you have that many people just being selfless and giving themselves to help others.”
Each year, the organization gives out a spirit award named after Ricky James, a 4-year-old boy who passed away after being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumorous cancer in the muscles. His mother, Shelli James, comes to these Dance Marathons in remembrance of her son. “They honor him every year. They’re my family. Everyone here is so inspiring,” she said. This year’s winner of the award was Taylor Walden, senior at UGA.
Not to mention, the football players got involved. Is it too late for me to transfer to UGA?
UGA Miracle first started when we were but wee babes in 1995 when Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals asked UGA’s Greek Life to start a dance marathon. In the first year, they raised a total of $20,000 with under 300 members, and now they are a fundraising phenomenon. (Started from the bottom, amirite?) The funds are given to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a network of nonprofit pediatric medical facilities, and benefit the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit (CIRU), Prosthetic Fabrication Lab, Robotics Center, and others.
Great job, guys. .
[via Online Athens, UGA Miracle, @ugamiracle on Instagram]
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