Clemson Dance Marathon to benefit Greenville Children’s Hospital

Clemson students will dance the night away — literally — as the Clemson University Dance Marathon hosts its annual fundraiser Dancing FTK (For the Kids) Friday, March 1, at Fike Recreation Center. Dancing begins at 7 p.m. and lasts through the night until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Dance Marathon is a philanthropic student organization that raises money for the Greenville Children’s Hospital’s Safe Kids Upstate program. Safe Kids teaches families about accident prevention and distributes safety equipment, such as bicycle helmets and car seats.

“This is our fourth year on Clemson's campus, and we've really enjoyed watching the event grow and seeing more and more students joining," said Audrey Stevens, executive director of Clemson University Dance Marathon and a senior from Austin, Texas. "It's really great to watch that spirit spread because it's such a fun event for such a wonderful cause. I can't wait until the day that every student on this campus looks forward to Dance Marathon the same way I do.” 

The group raises money all year and celebrates with the dance marathon as a final fundraising effort with food, games, live entertainment and dancing. Eight children from Greenville Children’s Hospital and their families will be there. 

“That means everyone coming to the event gets to meet the children and families that this hospital directly affected. I think this will show the dancers that what they are doing is truly changing lives,” said Stevens.

Last year, the marathon raised $17,305. This year the organization hopes to raise $30,000. Donations can be made online.