Eagles For The Kids, a new organization on campus as of last March, kicked off the year with the EagleTHON event on Saturday, Oct. 14. This event consisted of dancing and other activities to fundraise for the Gunderson Health Clinic, which is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, here in La Crosse. Starting at 7 PM and finishing at 2 AM the next morning, the event was a space where attendees could groove to some tunes and have a great time all at once. 

This Dance Marathon was more than just a place for dancers to gather, but rather something a little more special. “This event is centered around dancing to celebrate what we have done, what we can do, and the kiddos at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital,” said Executive Director of Eagles For The Kids Emily Diggins. “100 percent of what we do here tonight is going towards our total fundraising goal.” 

There were other activities occurring along with the dancing at the event. According to Diggins, activities such as dance team performances from UWL and the La Crosse Community, Minute to Win It games, Just Dance on the Wii, requesting a song, and a photo booth were all there to let attendees have fun and donate to a good cause. 

Despite all the activities, a larger part was at play for this event. “One of the huge things about Dance Marathon is you’re not allowed to sit for the duration of the event,” Diggins stated. “Ours, luckily, is only seven hours long, but some schools host 24-, 36-, or even 48-hour events similar to this one.” 

Another portion of the event consisted of the Heroes presenting their stories and introducing their families to the audience. “Each family talked about their story and what the Children’s Miracle Network has done for them,” UWL Junior and Volunteer Dancer Annie Thorp stated.  

Each dancer was paired up with one of the five heroes, according to Thorp. “They are the person that we stand up for all night and the bracelets we wear, with their names on them, represent the bands those kids have to wear during their stay at the hospital,” Thorp commented. 

If you weren’t able to make it to the event and want to get involved, there are some things, Diggins states, that you can do. “The first thing you can do is become a member of our organization, show up to meetings and start helping out with planning for this event next year,” Diggins responds. “We should have a new page up in a couple of months and then we can get started with the fundraising.” 

So, if you want to help and are eager to do so, get involved with this organization or donate to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. “Follow us on Facebook at the Eagles For The Kids Facebook page to get updates about the fundraising page and other events coming up,” Diggins expressed.