Were you at Cornell’s first Thon?
#FTK
You know that episode of Gilmore Girls where they had a dance marathon and there’s a bunch of drama and crying and Jess is looking really cute but he’s being such a jerk and then he’s not?
Well, Big Red Thon was nothing like that.
But it was a dance marathon.
For months, the newest sorority on campus, Phi Mu and the medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon, have been planning the most exciting philanthropy event to hit campus — a 13.1 hour dance marathon that fundraised over $40,000 for the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse.
We went to Big Red Thon to this past Saturday to talk to participants about their experience.
Kelsey Bernal, ILR ’17
What made you want to be here right now?
I’m here because of APO. We get community service hours for being here.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
The bouncy house.
Anisha Luthra, ECE ’18 and Laura Montoya, Bio Engineering ’16
What motivated you guys to come out here tonight?
Laura: I would say it was nice to participate in it as a senior (in my case) because I know it will keep growing and get better every year, but I was happy to take part in it before I graduated. And I mainly did it to help raise money for the kids while doing something I love to do (dancing) with some of my brothers from APO.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
Anisha: Getting my face painted.
Laura: And the performances were really good, and the food!
Anya Ruiz, Animal Science ’17
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
We’re trying to raise money by dancing all night. We’re raising as much as possible because every child deserves a childhood.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
Dude … dancing like crazy. Nobody’s watching and it feels good to let loose.
Savannah Kramer, ILR ’17
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
Because it’s for the kids, and because we have to beat Harvard’s 1st dance marathon (Update: We beat Harvard).
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
The dancing, definitely.
Dania Alvarez, ILR ’18
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
It’s important to help support such a great cause while having fun.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
Celebrating the fact that we raised so much money.
Gregory Chen, Human Development ’18
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
It’s a good cause and it’s important that we do this now since it’s going to be bigger in the future.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
The fact that everyone is working together to support the cause.
Mayra Valadez, ILR ’18
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
Because it’s our first dance marathon and it will benefit a hospital so close to us that helps kids within our own community.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
The collectivity. The fact that so many people came together for one cause. Seeing all our months of hard work come together is amazing.
Ruby Yu, Policy Analysis & Management ’18, Caitlin Yung, Biological Sciences ’18, Sisi Peng, Communications ’16, Anjum Hadwani ’16
Why do you think it’s important to be here at Big Red Thon right now?
Ruby: We’re giving back to the community. It’s important to give back and to help children who are suffering from diseases that they can’t control.
Caitlin: We know exactly where our money is going to. We visit the hospital once a month.
Sisi: It’s a fun way to fundraise and support a good cause. This is a campus-wide event where any person of any study can come dance.
Anjum: It’s the most meaningful all-nighter you’ll pull.
What was your favorite part about Big Red Thon?
THE DANCING. It’s one massive party. We get to spend time with all of our friends instead of going out.
To all those who missed out the chance to come to the coolest all-nighter at Cornell, check out the activities Big Red Thon had:
First and foremost …FREE FOOD. The organizers were happy to dish out some egg rolls, noodles and fried rice for all your late-night Chinese food craving needs. They also had all the candy, water bottles, juice and pizza you could possibly ask for.
When it came to activities to keep everyone in high spirits and full of energy, they didn’t hold back. From a bouncy house and an inflatable obstacle course to water pong and a photo booth, there was plenty to keep people entertained.
If that wasn’t enough, they also had a morale team go up on stage every hour to teach a fun and easy choreo to keep people moving.
A shoutout to Biohazrd who kept the beat going and the crowd hype when the late hours were getting to them. Biohazrd hooked it up with all your favorite hit songs and created a high-energy atmosphere that kept the crowds dancing. When the DJ wasn’t killing it on stage, Cornell dance groups like Rise, Bhangra, Urban Blaze, and Base would impress the crowds with their other-level dance numbers.
All in all the event was truly memorable. Though the night was a long one, committed dancers did not leave the dance floor and even showcased some of their amazing freestyling skills.
So maybe you weren’t able to completely recreate your Gilmore Girls fantasy.
But you did get to dance to amazing music with all of your friends for an amazing cause. It’s cool to think that this first dance marathon is the beginning of what will be a celebrated annual event in the future.
All the hard work that the organizers put in culminated in an outstanding event that brought so many members of the Cornell and Ithaca community together to support a Miracle Network children’s hospital.
Remember, it’s always For The Kids. #FTK.