Participants danced, played with inflatables such as 3 Man Bungee run, danced with their Chancellor, watched student performances, hung out with miracle families, and were fed. Every hour had a different theme and the music matched with the theme. They viewed videos and heard from people who were directly impacted by Children’s Miracle Network of Greater St Louis.  Participants also took multiple pictures in our photo booth and by our large, wooden, painted “FTK” letters and also our performance groups.

There was a family room where the families were able to go if they felt overwhelmed by the crowd of dancers. Snacks and games were available for children and their families in the room. Students  liaisons were assigned for each of the families. They shared their stories with our dancers.

They are truly a one of a kind event at Washington University, and are one of two that directly benefits Children’s Miracle Network of Greater St Louis. There are students who attend WashU who have been in the hospital in their past, know someone who has been, or are knowledgeable about the hospital itself.  This is a hospital that provides service to so many people and we are honored to support them. Thank you Love’s Travel Stops for supporting this Dance Marathon.

Paraphrased from Public Relations Coordinator for St. Norbert Dance Marathon, Micayla Meyers

On November 11th, St Norbert College Dance Marathon had their 5th Annual “Miracle Day”. They were thrilled to have 200 dancer participants in attendance for the big day! During the 13.1 hour event, their dancers were able to experience different themed hours with crafts and games. Some favorites were Disney Hour that included a lip sync competition and temporary tattoos, and also Power Hour where everyone rocked out to popular music mashups with glow sticks and finger lights!  While all of the events of the day were fun, the most important part of Miracle Day was of course the 14 wonderful Miracle Families who shared their stories of how they have been impacted by the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Dancers got a chance to make bandannas with the names of the families and take pictures with the family after each Family Talk. The families also got to enjoy a special Families Room for them, complete with a ball pit! Additionally, we created a Reflection Room where the dancers could go to read families stories, write notes to Miracle Kids, and engage in some peaceful reflection.

Celebration Hour, sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, was the most impactful hour for their dancers that allowed them to connect deeper to the cause and why they dance for the kids. They celebrated their Miracle Families during this hour as they ran on stage across a red carpet and the participants thanked them for all that they do. The participants also had the opportunity to form a circle around a “chain of hope” on which they had written names of Miracle Kids and reasons why they dance. They then took a moment to remember all of the Miracle Kids who fought a hard battle but unfortunately have passed away. This was a very emotional time for everyone as stood as one listening to the song “Angel’s Among Us” and remembered all of the Miracle Kids. Additionally, during Celebration Hour they heard an update on one of their Miracle Kids, Mitch, who was cancer free at their event last year but relapsed this summer. In honor of Mitch they called their dancers to action and challenged everyone to collectively raise $9,400 within the hour in honor of the 94 nights Mitch has spent in the hospital since June. Dancers stood together on one side of the room and made at least 10 calls to family and friends asking directly for donations. This was incredibly inspiring to see the dancers rally around this cause and get excited when they raised $1,000 within the first five minutes of starting these calls and from this moment on during their Miracle Day their fundraising numbers increased dramatically.

Thanks to the help and support of Love’s they exceeded their $70,000 goal with flying colors, raising a grand total of $76,754.05 for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin – Milwaukee! With Love’s sponsorship of their event, they were able to create a Dance Marathon experience for their participants that was unlike any other. A small campus in the city of De Pere was able to raise enough money to affect the lives of thousands of kids at the Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Their organization is small but mighty, and Love’s sponsorship has allowed them to accomplish a goal beyond their wildest dreams.

Freddie Highmore, Chuku Modo, Nicholas Gonzalez and Beau Garrett, cast members of the Good Doctor, visited with Miracle Children at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver on Extra Life’s Game Day, November 4.

The cast played games while raising funds and awareness for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. They also talked about the importance of children’s hospitals and the impact hospitals have had on their own lives.

Extra Life is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program within the gaming community. Anyone who loves games – from tabletop, to PC and console – can register to participate at EXTRA-LIFE.ORG. Participants choose the local CMN Hospital they play for and collect donations from family and friends. Donations stay local to benefit the most immediate need at the hospital; from life-saving equipment to patient programs and charitable care.