Taylor Lavery

COMM331 10am
Professor Hollenczer
People on the Street
Bigger, bolder, one million stronger
Taylor Lavery March 6, 2017

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- For The Kids. Three words that define Terp Thon,
Marylands largest student run philanthropy project. For the past 8 years,
students at the University of Maryland have come together for a Dance
Marathon to raise money for Childrens National Hospital in D.C, part of the
Childrens Miracle Network Hospital System.

The first Dance Marathon started in 1981, at Indiana University in memory of

Ryan White, a student who passed away from HIV/AIDS. The motto of Dance
Marathon became one generation fighting for the next.

UMD joined that community in 2010, and continues to be the youngest,

fastest growing Dance Marathon. Terps dance for 12 hours in honor of a
nurses shift at Childrens National Hospital. This year the Terps set a
fundraising goal of $1 million, with the motto bigger, bolder, so the kids can
grow up stronger.

One thing I love about Terp Thon is that people come together for one
cause. It gives me hope for all the kids in the hospital, said Jaiwen Hsu, a
miracle kid, who has been treated for cancer at Childrens National Hospital.

Over 3,000 registered dancers came together on March 4, in the Reckord

Army. Dancers included students, alumni, families and children treated at
Childrens National. Each person had a reason to dance.

I dance to give back to an organization and hospital network that has given
so much to my family. Childrens Miracle Network saved my brothers life and
gave me the opportunity to watch him grow up happy and healthy, said
Caitlin Lane, a member of the Terp Thon planning team.

Alumni also continue to be passionate about the cause and return every year
for the event.

My favorite part about coming back is seeing the Miracle Kids and the
families, said alumni Kim Heller, who was the Fiscal Director for Terp Thon in
2016.
Miracle Kids are children who have been treated at Childrens National. Their
families have benefited from the philanthropic efforts of Terp Thon that
ensure that no child is turned away due to financial reasons.
-MORE-

Fundraising efforts also support art therapy, music programs, and a healing
garden that allows kids to be kids during their hospital stay.

Knowing how money directly impacts the hospital and the kids, Terp Thon
challenged itself to be bigger, bolder, and one million stronger. This goal is a
$272,000 increase from the total raised in 2016.

Throughout the Dance Marathon, dancers continued to fundraise to reach

the goal of $1 million. Every hour, dancers performed a morale dance to
keep spirits high and to remember the reason they were dancing in the first
place. Each morale dance ended with the phrase, Do you Believe in
Miracles? And everyone answered with a resounding YES.

This excitement demonstrated by each dancer signified the passion to help

every child at Childrens National. It motivated the dancers to reach the $1
million goal.

Just after midnight, the fundraising total was revealed. The numbers slowly
began to rise stopping at a total of $1,0001,304.16.

Terp Thon is the youngest Dance Marathon to reach the million dollar
milestone.

When the total appeared during reveal, I was emotional, literally, I cried, but
I wasnt shocked, said Anna Melnick, a member of the events committee on
the Terp Thon Planning Team.

Terp Thon proved that they had the ability to be bigger, bolder, and, one
million stronger.

We worked so hard all year, but everything we did was worth it. Because it
was all For the Kids, said Melanie Babi, Terp Thon Executive Board Member.

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