Most have heard of a marathon, triathlon, decathlon, and a biathlon, but have you heard of an EagleTHON? From Saturday, Oct. 14 at 6 PM to Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 AM, Eagles For The Kids, will be hosting the EagleTHON which is a Dance Marathon that lasts for seven consecutive hours and participants must remain standing for the entirety of the event. 

Eagles For The Kids (EFTK) is a UWL student-run-organization that works with Gundersen and Children’s Miracle Network to raise money For The Kids. According to Director of Campus and Community Relations Katherine Sullivan, this group was just accepted as an official organization last March and has already completed several fundraising events including: “If I Were A Kid Again,” partnership event with Divvy up socks, and a UWL student picture event.  

“Eagles For The Kids works to support and celebrate the lives of children, who receive medical care, and their families through fundraising,” Sullivan said. “In doing so, we reach out to our local businesses and also work to build and maintain relationships with our local heroes and their families. Everything we do is For The Kids; they are the backbone of our organization.” 

The Dance Marathon will consist of participants dancing for seven hours in a row. Participants have the option to either dance individually or dance with a team and EFTK works with the participants to help them fundraise for the EagleTHON. “We put together various activities, bring in special guests, and support our local heroes leading up to the big event,” Sullivan stated.  

The money donated towards the event will be going directly to our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, locally at Gundersen Health Systems (uwlmyorgs.campuslabs.com) to help children and their families. Children’s Miracle Network Things such as meal tickets, therapies for children, medical supplies, and care packages will be supported with the donations and will go towards children supported through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. 

“I highly encourage students to attend this event,” Sullivan suggested, “Dance Marathon is a fun way to spend a weekend night with some of your good friends or to meet new ones. You get to meet the kids and talk with their families and just have a great time dancing and being in good company.” 

The Dance Marathon event will be hosted in the Student Union Bluff Ballroom at UWL and there will be activities and dancing for everyone to participate in. For this event, Sullivan says they are expecting about 125 people to attend, but are hoping for more than that. If interested in attending, one must register online or at the door and anyone is welcome to attend. There will be other organizations attending the event as well as guest appearances. 

“You don’t always get to see your direct impact when you do charity work and this is one instance that you do. I have heard others say it before, but I truly believe that giving to others sparks a happiness in us we cannot get anywhere else,” Sullivan said.