Luther raises $38,612.01 in first Dance Marathon

2014 May 6

Jenna Darsee, a Luther College junior from Urbandale, Iowa, was a member of the Luther Dance Marathon executive board that raised a total of $38,612.01 to send to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Dance Marathon is a nationwide movement involving college and high school students at more than 150 schools across the country. Darsee, the daughter of Nancy Darsee and Kent Darsee of Urbandale, Iowa, is a 2011 graduate of Urbandale High School. She is majoring in art education at Luther.

"I got involved with Dance Marathon because of the wonderful things that it does for the Children's Miracle Network. I had become interested in it when Iowa State's Dance Marathon came to talk to student senate when I was a senior in high school, about hosting a mini- DM it was something I was really excited about and tried to get going at Urbandale but it just didn't work into our schedule. Finding out that Luther was starting a DM was great news and I am so grateful for this executive team that started it off, we couldn't have asked for the event to go better, and the fact that so many students got involved in something a majority of them had never heard of was something inspiring to witness but also very telling of the culture of students at Luther College," Darsee said.

After a year-long commitment from more than 500 people, the year culminated in a 12-hour long event where students stayed on their feet through dancing, games and entertainment in celebration of the total amount raised.

After two years of careful planning Luther students Paul Esker, Chloe Gumpert, Jordan Jensen and Libby Logsden convened an executive board and coordinated the event.

The public campus fundraising goal was $15,000, but Gumpert said the executive board wanted to raise one more cent than the 2013 Wartburg College Dance Marathon goal of $32,000.

The two largest sponsorships came from the community businesses of Mabe's Pizza and the Magpie Coffeehouse. Other sponsors included Pizza Hut, Happy Joe's, Pizza Ranch, Mr. Groovy's, Kepharts, Coldwell Banker Hedges Realty, Fridley Theaters, Oneota Co-op, Decorah Veterinary Clinic and Love Your Melon.