This Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, the Bridges Teen Leadership Board will host their 10th annual Dance Marathon benefiting Lurie Children’s hospital.
Bboard members from Loyola and other high schools, supporters of the board and hospital, and patients from the hospital with their families will attend the event.
The Dance Marathon will be held in New Trier’s West gym. The gym will be covered in decorations relating to the theme, Dancing Through the Decades, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the event.
There will be many games, such as Twitster and Spikeball, and stations for all attendees to participate in. Although dance skills are not required, there will also be lots of opportunities for dancing.
Throughout the night, the patients and their families in attendance will speak about what Lurie Children’s Hospital and The Dance Marathon mean to them.
“It really is such a special feeling to see the smiles on the kids’ faces,” said Anabel Weber, President of Fundraising.
At the very end of the event, the Bridges Teen Leadership Board’s fundraising total from the entire year will be revealed. The Dance Marathon is essentially a celebration of what the board has done over the past few months
“It’s so cool to watch all of the hard work and fundraising come together,” Weber said.
In May of 2024, students from high schools all over the Chicago area, mainly Loyola and New Trier, applied to join the Bridges Teen Leadership Board. The board is made up of presidents, an executive board, and general board members.
Throughout the summer and fall, all board members began individually fundraising for Lurie Children’s hospital. They reached out to family and friends for donations, stood outside stores with posters and cans, and looked for a company that would sponsor them.
The board also worked together to put on multiple small fundraisers. The Dance Marathon this weekend is seen as their main fundraiser, but the board found that smaller activities throughout the year were also beneficial.
“I think our clothing sale went fairly well as it was an opportunity for our newly made board to come together and host a summer fundraiser,” said Honor Dold, President of Outreach.
The clothing sale was one example of a small fundraiser, as well as the board’s “Miles for Miracles” walk and a bake sale at Loyola Academy.
“The bake sale was such a fun way to bring our board into Loyola,” sophomore Nora Duryea said.
All of these efforts from the board will add up to their overall fundraising goal.
Additionally, executive board member Anna Virgili received a sponsor from a local family foundation that has offered to match what the board raises up to $100,000.
This year’s final fundraising reveal is sure to be the highest total in Bridges Dance Marathon history.
“I love that BTLB makes the most tangible impact on those in need in my community,” Dold said. “The money we raise goes towards patients’ treatments, medical research, and keeping the hospital running.”
Anyone is welcome to attend the Dance Marathon to support the board, their hard work, and all of the kids being treated at Lurie Children’s hospital. It is going to be a great night!
