The Wisconsin Dance Marathon raised almost $57,000 for the American Family Children's Hospital Friday and Saturday during the overnight dance marathon event at the Shell.
The American Family Children's Hospital, completed in August 2007, is a medical care facility specifically designed for children in Madison.
Meghan Marostica, Dance Marathon executive chair, said the Wisconsin Dance Marathon has a specific fund in its name, and the money goes to the patients and family branch of the hospital.
Organizers said they are pleased with the outcome of the event, which was the first dance marathon at UW-Madison. According to Marostica, UW-Madison set the record among all Big Ten schools for the amount raised.
""It was everything that we as an organization were hoping for and more,"" Dance Marathon Public Relations Chair Ellen Vanden Branden said. ""We laid a solid foundation for future dance marathons.""
Registered dance teams, who raised $100 per team member before the event, participated for 12 hours beginning Friday night at 9 p.m. and ending at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
Guests who paid a fee at the door were allowed to visit with the participants for two hours and join in the entertainment.
""We had great attendance,"" Marostica said. ""And a lot of people stayed the whole time.""
Vanden Branden said participants did a great job staying awake and motivated.
""The campus group 80s Dance Zone, performed around 3:30 a.m. and really motivated people,"" she said. ""Also, our morale captain did a fabulous job keeping everyone energetic.""
Adam Wallenfang, Dance Marathon Secretary, said though it was tough to stay focused during the marathon, it was rewarding to see the results of their hard work.
""It was hard and grueling at times,"" he said. ""But it was so worth it at the end when we held up that final amount.""
According to Vanden Branden, at the event's peak, approximately 300 attendees were there, including volunteers, guests and team members.
""It was unbelievable,"" Marostica said. ""It was almost flawless, and everyone had a great time.""
