Team Tri Delta at Dance Marathon!

On Saturday, February 25, a group of our sisters joined over 1,200 other students and danced together for 14 hours with USC Dance Marathon to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. USC Dance Marathon is the largest student-run philanthropic organization on campus. These students are able to help children right here in Columbia by fundraising for the Child Life Program at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. This year, as a whole USCDM raised $703,289 surpassing their $700,000 goal. As a team, our girls raised $6,704.42 for the kids!

The main event began at 10 a.m. and went until 12 a.m, and during this time, there was no sitting or sleeping. The participants danced in support of the patients, some of which they got to meet during the event! They also heard many different Miracle family testimonies, which encouraged the participants to keep on dancing, even when it seemed impossible. 

                 

 

 

“I got involved last year with the encouragement of another Tri Delta Member, Kimmie Gower. I didn’t really know what I was getting into at first. It was not until I met a Miracle kid named Benjamin that I realized how important this event was. It makes you want to work harder and do whatever you can do to help these children and their families,” said Junior Emily Morgan.

Both Emily and Sophomore Julia Derry are members of the Dance Marathon Morale Team. They spent countless hours preparing for the event and ensuring its success. During the main event Emily and Julia motivated our team to keep going and keep fundraising.

Some of our members got to meet a fellow Tri Delta from Elon at the main event on Saturday. After bonding over sisterhood, she then proceeded to get on the stage and tell about how she was a miracle child who had a 10% chance of survival when she was 8 years old. What a special story to share and a testimony to living out your purpose!

We could not be more proud of the Tri Deltas who were so dedicated to helping an amazing cause. An event like this brings the student body together to better the lives of children and families everywhere, and we could not be happier to have the opportunity to participate while strengthening the bonds of friendship between our chapter. 

“Being able to bond with sisters from my pledge class was one of the best parts of fundraising and dancing as a Tri Delta team member!” said freshman, Mckenna Vergnolle. Being able to spend time with sisters and raising money for a good cause? How could it get any better!

Sophomore Makenna Rose also really enjoyed being a part of this event. “Hearing all of the miracle stories and then seeing the looks on everyone’s faces when we exceeded our goal was one of the best parts of the event; the pure joy that overwhelmed the room, knowing that dancing for 14 hours wasn’t just dancing but knowing that it truly was making a difference and that everyone there cared and made these children their priority for all day... that was the best,” said Makenna.

We can’t thank our team members enough, and we look forward to raising even more money next year!