March 31, 2005

Dancers' support tops $400,000

Northwestern’s student-run 31st Annual Dance Marathon netted $404,328.40 during the 30-hour March 4-6 event that will benefit two organizations.

This year’s primary beneficiary, the Illinois chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the leading charitable fundraiser and advocate of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide, will receive $374,004.

The Evanston Community Foundation (ECF), Dance Marathon’s secondary beneficiary for the eighth consecutive year, will receive 7.5 percent of the net total of dollars raised — this year, $30,325 — to help fund projects and programs proposed by local not-for-profit organizations serving Evanston. Dance Marathon has contributed more than $200,000 to ECF in the past eight years.

JDRF’s mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Founded in 1970 by parents of children with juvenile diabetes, JDRF has given more than $800 million to support research and research-related education.

The majority of the 500 dancers involved in the 2005 event were undergraduate students.

Northwestern seniors Melissa Borschnack and Elaine Kanak were the executive co-chairs of Dance Marathon 2005.

Dance Marathon, one of the world’s largest collegiate philanthropies, has raised more than $6.5 million for various charities since it began in 1975.