Rutgers Dance Marathon Continues Through Tonight

If you hear the sounds of dance music wafting down College Avenue, it's not your imagination.

It's the 14th anniversary of the Rutgers University Dance Marathon (RUDM), New Jersey’s largest student-run philanthropic event. The 32-hour long marathon continues through 6 pm tonight and features nearly 1,000 student volunteers, all of whom have been on their feet since Saturday.

The dancers, inside the College Avenue Gym are raising money for the Embrace Kids Foundation, a New Brunswick-based organization that has provided for children with cancer and blood disorders since its founding in 1991.

Support for and awareness for the Dance Marathon and its cause have increased significantly since its beginnings, and this year’s event is expected to generate even more support. Most importantly has been the increase in participation in the RU4Kids program, a program in which Rutgers University student organizations get paired up with children within the Embrace Kids network, and become their host “families”.

RUDM is the number one contributor to Embrace Kids Foundation, having raised $3,134,615.06 over the past 14 years. The Dance Marathon has achieved consistent success; last year’s Marathon raised over $60,000 more than the previous Marathon.

RUDM was selected among 2,400 nominations as a Top 5 East Region Finalist for Most Influential College Organization for the 4th Annual CLASSY Awards in July, 2012, and continues to earn national prominence for its support for children.