Emilia Haus

On April 19, Miami Palmetto Senior High’s gym was covered in posters with phrases such as #forthekids, with over 100 students gathered to raise money for a good cause, marking the first Dance Marathon hosted by a high school in Miami-Dade County. 

Miracle Network Dance Marathon is a nationwide philanthropic effort that raises money for children’s hospitals, with MPSH specifically raising money for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Typically, Dance Marathons are held on college campuses and last anywhere from 24-48 hours. 

At a tour of Florida State University, senior and Executive Director of Dance Marathon Emma Behar learned about the event and decided to take it home to MPSH.

“I was touring FSU and on my tour, I saw kids hitting a gong and I was like, ‘Oh my god, what’s going on?’ So, I asked them what was happening, and they said that they were doing Dance Marathon and that every gong hit symbolizes a healthy heartbeat made possible through funds raised through Dance Marathon … I fell in love because the students just seemed so passionate about it,” Behar said. “Once I heard about it, I knew I needed to bring it to Palmetto because Palmetto is the place where everyone unites under a good cause.”

After reaching out to Children’s Miracle Network, as President of the National Honor Society, Behar emailed Lisa Mallard-Thompson, the  Department Chair of Student Services and sponsor of the club, to bring Dance Marathon to MPSH. Coincidently, Mallard had participated in Dance Marathon at Florida International University, so she was more than willing to assist Behar in bringing it to the school.

Dance Marathon is more than just one day of fundraising: it involves a year-long fundraising effort and increasing awareness.

“We have a competition going right now with the clubs, and the clubs are doing pretty great at fundraising. Some students have been doing amazing and raising hundreds of dollars which is great,” Behar said. 

Overall, Dance Marathon raised $6,052.26, surpassing the original goal of $5,000 that Behar set.

These efforts all culminated in the actual Dance Marathon — a four-hour event full of games and music provided by Yayi Music and Diego Ortiz.

“I am beyond excited. We’ve put a lot of work in. It’s been a good few months … I’m really, really proud of what we’ve created, and I’m just really excited to see what it looks like at the end,” junior and Events Operations Chair of Dance Marathon Peyton Byrd said.

The event turned out successful, with about 200 students registering to attend. They were able to have fun with their friends, all while supporting sick children.

“It’s been something super meaningful to me, and it’s something I am so grateful to be a part of and to help continue next year,” Byrd said.