MadiTHON: More than just dancing

On February 20th the third annual MadiTHON took place, and all I can say is WOW. I have been on the executive board for all three years of the event, and I am still in shock with how much this event has grown! If you told me three years ago that we would have President Alger kicking off the event for us I would have laughed at you. However he was there, and started us off with a bang by giving an amazing speech! That was not the only highlight though.

We had amazing performances from the popular band Swell Daze, the country group The Hackens Boys (fan favorites), the amazing ladies of Madison Dance, the always outstanding Low Key, the lovely ladies of Club Cheer, the always exciting Unaccompanied, the acapella group the Overtones and the rave masters of Party Cartel.

To go along with that we had appearances from Aspen Heights and their famous lime green hats, Love Your Melon with their amazing beanies, Red Bull and their Wings Girls, Cheerwine and their refreshing soda, and Vineyard Vines. There was refreshing food and beverage provided by Pepsi, Jimmy Johns and Chanellos (hope you got some pizza).

People were playing Wii sports, Dance Dance Revolution, knockout (largest game I have ever seen before), writing letters, lip sync battling and my personal favorite playing with the Miracle Kids. However at the end of the day the biggest thing that matters is the experiences that people can take away from the event, so here are a few stories from MadiTHON 2016!

Caroline Chang (Mother of Miracle Child Wesley): “As a 2000 Graduate of JMU I could not be prouder of my fellow Dukes for helping such an amazing cause! I never expected to be in a position of need. However when Wesley was diagnosed with cancer I saw the true meaning of community, and how important events like MadiTHON are.”

Krissy Pitts (Mother of Miracle Child Anna): ” What a great event! Everyone had a fantastic time while raising money for a great cause that’s very near and dear to my heart. My daughters have been looking forward to seeing friends from last year and making new friends this year. Thank you to everyone who took part in this extremely special event!”

Jennifer and Miracle Child Tyler Shannon: Tyler says: “Madithon was so much fun this year! It is so cool that they raise that much money for kids at the hospital!” His mom Jennifer says: “It amazes me more and more each year when JMU students come together to raise money for children that they have never met. To see a need and respond to it is a sign of amazing character. As parents, we will never be able to fully express our gratitude for what they do. We absolutely love UVA Children’s Hospital, and it is so wonderful to see college students doing the same!”

David Robinson (Miracle Child): Brigid told me last year that he was a major ladies man, and has a ton of girlfriends. This year I figured I’d ask him a couple of questions about what makes him such a hit with the ladies, to see if maybe I could get a few pointers from him. David’s favorite part about Madithon is singing, and his favorite song to dance to at MadiTHON is My Way by Fetty Wap. His favorite sport is basketball, and loves watching Steph Curry play. When David grows up he wants to become a police officer so he can fight crime, and kick bad guys off the streets.

Drew Sigman (Director of MadiTHON): “I’m in complete shock, but am not surprised by the success of MadiTHON 2016. JMU fosters a community of hardworking, passionate, and driven dukes. You are able to see that first hand with the success that MadiTHON has had. It was amazing to see all of the students and faculty coming together to help these local children who are seeking treatment in the hospital. We did an unbelievable thing, and helped change children’s lives for the better!”

Brigid Dass (aka the Queen of MadiTHON): Brigid had been the director of the event for the first two MadiTHON’s. She is a Senior here at JMU, and although this will be her last year as an undergraduate student she has reassured us this will not be her last MadiTHON. Brigid told me “It has been truly amazing watching this event grow and evolve over the last three years. Seeing the impact that this event has had benefiting all of the kids has been unbelieveable!”

Susan Cumpston (Campus Rep for Love Your Melon): “Today was amazing! It was our first event on campus, and everyone showed so much love for Love Your Melon. I truly enjoyed talking to everyone and seeing the direct effects of what service can do. I am so glad that we were able to help raise so much money for both Love Your Melon, and MadiTHON!”

Ben Kunkle, and Casey Armstrong (The Hackens Boys): “Great event for an even greater cause! We were so excited to be able to play and contribute for such a great cause!”

Elizabeth Girvan: Elizabeth is a Junior at UVA and helps run their dance marathon. She told me, “MadiTHON had such an amazing energy with so many caring people there.”

Will Schulte: Will is a senior in Sigma Phi Epsilon and a member of the executive board for MadiTHON. Along with that this was his first MadiTHON and he to told me “It has been amazing to see all of the effort that has been put into the event generate such a rewarding experience for everyone that participates in the event.”

Andrew Carlin: Andrew is a senior in Sigma Phi Epsilon and a member of the MadiTHON executive board as well. Andrew told me “MadiTHON is a very special event to JMU because it is one of the few philanthropy events that not only brings together the entire campus, but the entire community as well!”

Beth Burleson: This is Beth’s second year on the executive board, and she is one of our PR Chairs. Beth said, “Madithon is so special because everything we do is for our miracle kids, and their families. All of the hard work that is put into the event helps to create an unforgettable day for the kids and their families!”

Joe Straub: Joe is a senior at JMU and has participated in MadiTHON for the last three years. Joe told me he has loved watching this event grow over his time at JMU. The progress has been amazing, and he can see such a dramatic change since the first two years.

Alexandra Barber (The Most Excited Person at the Event): Alexandra is a sophomore and she said: “MadiTHON is such a positive way to get involved at JMU. It has been so cool to see so many other organizations on campus get involved with it as well. All the kids are amazing!” Alexandra also wanted to make giant shout out to her Miracle Kid pen pal Anna!

For me this event has been truly amazing and has had a giant impact on my life. It has created some of the best memories, and best friends that I have had at JMU. To have an event like this you really need to have a special group of individuals! So I would like to give the MadiTHON executive board, Phi Mu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and UREC a giant shout out! Without these groups of individuals this event would not be possible! However at the end of the day the amount of money raised is just a number, and although it matters it is not the most important thing that comes from the event. The most important thing that comes from the event is the entire community coming together to accomplish one goal. That goal is to help out kids that are in need. MadiTHON 2016 did that we were able to raise $88,180.16, but more importantly we gave 11 Miracle Kids and their families memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives!