User talk:Sean/DMatUF
Imatt711 (talk) 18:45, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
Matt's Commentary
Started in 1995 after a push from Children’s Miracle Network, the University of Florida launched its version of Dance Marathon. Children’s Miracle Network spent time before looking to see how Pennsylvania State did their “Thon” event before later carrying on the ideas to other schools around the country, the University of Florida being one of them. The first Dance Marathon, which was initially called the University of Florida Dance Marathon instead of Dance Marathon at the University of Florida, took place in a ballroom at the Reitz Union on UF’s campus in the spring of 1995 (assuming it is 95). Just a few years later in 1997, the event moved to the school’s basketball stadium, the O’Connell Center.
Some of the first individuals attributed to bringing the idea to UF’s campus are Eric Gray and Brenda Johnson. In 1999, the event was revamped in terms of layout. It was the first year two stages were used in the basketball stadium as well as some layout changes to bleacher use and activities at the event. How and why was it revamped?
Past Dance Marathon events resemble what it is today, but on a smaller scale except for in terms of time. The original event was 32 hours of standing. Throughout the year DM participated in “mini marathons” where local high schools could participate and hopefully catch DM fever and participate in the event once they got to college. From the beginning, the event also featured a linedance, which dancers and members of the DM family would learn a joint dance that they would perform together throughout the event.
Throughout the ‘90s and the ‘00s, the event participated in the homecoming parade with a float as well as started a 5K run, which still takes place in honor of the event today. Also around that time a new policy was implemented that allowed organizations to have a certain amount of dancers based on the amount of money they raised. During the ‘00s the event hit a milestone of $150,000 dollars raised for Shands at the University of Florida, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. In 2012, the event raised over $800,000. 2002’s event housed 621 dancers and raised over $200,000. Did we hit it in the year 2000? Or sometime in that decade?
In 2003, the maximum number of dancers was 300 and at that number they were maxed out. Why were we maxed out?
In 2012, the event held over 800 dancers, a much larger limit. 2003 also marked the year where a community events chair was named for the first time. There was also a split between an external and internal coordinator for the event. The event also had a community advisory board, which consisted of University of Florida President Lombardi and his wife as well as heads of some of the advertisers. I would just create a section with structure of the leadership team that describes the current system along with changes over the year. Also, the jump from 03 to 12 to 06 is awkward.
2006’s event had about 600 dancers and raised almost $400,000. In 2007, Dance Marathon changed the event to 26.2 hours from 32 hours, eliminating some liability issues and safety concerns. The event used to have doctors and medical personnel on staff, which has since been eliminated. By 2007, $2.3 million had been raised for Children’s Miracle Network by the event. Why is it significant that by 07 we raised 2.3 mil?
2010 marked the start of the “jailbreak” activity at the event. Throughout the event different organizations would put one of their members and “jail” and set a bail price. The member of their team was not allowed out of the fragile cage until they raised a certain amount of money for the event via phone calls.
In 2012, Matt Michel became the longest-running Dance Marathon charity participant in the country, for the second time. Throughout the following years DM at UF managed to win other awards and financing from various organizations. What awards did we win? This is weird to mention otherwise
In 2011, The Pepsi Refresh Project at UF announced Dance Marathon at UF as a $15,000 grant winner during a basketball game. In 2012, Gainesville’s Pence family won $23,000 for Shands and placed second in the Primrose Schools Family Dance-off competition via votes in an online video competition. In 2012, DM at UF won most innovative event and best social media campaign at the Dance Marathon Leadership Conference. I would mention for primrose that we consider that the largest single donation we've ever received.