February 9, 2015

Dance Marathon raises big money for Children’s Hospital

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos jumped in the dance line to join students, volunteers, sponsors and special guests for Vanderbilt University Dance Marathon’s Big Event 2015 on Saturday at the Student Life Center.

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos (far left) joins Vanderbilt students for Dance Marathon's Big Event 2015. (Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt)
Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos (far left) joins Vanderbilt students for Dance Marathon's Big Event 2015. (Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt)

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos jumped in the dance line to join students, volunteers, sponsors and special guests for Vanderbilt University Dance Marathon’s Big Event 2015 on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Student Life Center.

The Big Event is the culmination of a yearlong fundraising effort by Dance Marathon, Vanderbilt’s largest student-run philanthropic organization. This year’s event raised $161,923.15, far exceeding the students’ fundraising goal of $131,000. This represents a 46 percent increase over last year’s total. The event drew more than 1,200 attendees and featured 13.1 hours of dancing, games, entertainment and guests, including Children’s Miracle Network patients and their families.

The money raised this year has funded a new inpatient room for premature infants as part of the Growing to New Heights expansion campaign at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and continues to help fund a neonatology fellowship held by Dr. Tracie Walker.

Now in its 13th year, Dance Marathon has raised more than $1.4 million for the Children’s Hospital.

(Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt)