Elmira Student-Athletes Help EC Dance Marathon Raise Over $15,000

3/29/2017 2:48:00 PM

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- On a day that was filled with athletic events, both home and away, several members of Elmira College's athletic teams took a break from crafting their skills in various sports to volunteer and help raise funds at the second annual Elmira College Dance Marathon over the weekend. This year's dance-a-thon was a giant success, as Elmira College exceeded its original donation goal to raise $15,899.09, which will go to support the Children's Miracle Network at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center. For those interested in helping out, donations are still being accepted for this year's EC Dance Marathon until Saturday, April 8. Click here to make your donation. 
 
EC student-athletes joined their classmates at the St. Anthony's Community Center Gymnasium, located adjacent to the Elmira campus, for a full day of dancing with a few breaks to participate in various activities. They also spent time working at several stations throughout the event, facilitating games and helping out with other fun things like face painting and crafting balloon animals.
 
"We're having an amazing time, our families are enjoying themselves, we're raising money, and we're having a celebration of life," said EC Dance Marathon Founder and Overall Director Emily Bush '18, who shared her thoughts just four hours into the event on Saturday, March 25. "All of our funds go directly to the three-hospital system right here in the Southern Tier and supports the nine surrounding counties in Southern New York, as well as the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania."
 
"It's important to give back to the community for those who are less fortunate, and to me, it's all about service for others," Bush added. "We just get to make their days a little bit brighter, and hopefully one day they can give back to kids so 20 years from now, they can be in our shoes doing the same thing.""
 
Funds raised at this year's dance marathon go to support hospital equipment, such as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) ventilator, as well as various programs and even gas cards for families that have difficulties making continuous trips to and from the hospital.

Of the several student-athletes and athletic teams represented at this year's dance marathon, we had the chance to catch up with Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) President Dan Gridley '18 of the men's golf team, as well as SAAB member Matthew Buffum '18 of men's volleyball and Sarah McCaffrey '18 of the field hockey team.
 

	"I think it's important for athletes to be involved in Dance Marathon because of just how many athletes we have on campus. A large proportion of the college population here is comprised of student-athletes. While we are busy with academics and athletics, it is important to make time for community service as well. The Dance Marathon is a great opportunity to do just that."
	"The most memorable part about this year's ECDM for me was listening to each Miracle family tell their story. It was incredibly heartwarming to see the numerous families that this charity has been able to touch in our area, and that the Miracle children are able to have fun like every other kid!"
	"When I saw that ECDM exceeded its goal of $15,000 I literally started jumping for joy. I could not contain how happy I was that we were able to accomplish so much. It just shows how all of the hard work that the committees and the dancers put in paid off. I am so happy I could in some small way contribute to their success."