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• Indiana University students gearing up for the 25th IU Dance Marathon

Indiana University students gearing up for the 25th IU Dance Marathon

• Oct. 22, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Thousands of students at Indiana University are gearing up to celebrate 25 years of dancing and celebrating, all “For the Kids.”

This year’s IU Dance Marathon takes place from 8 p.m. Oct. 30 to 8 a.m. Nov. 1. The 36-hour event is the culmination of a year’s worth of work by 1,300 student-committee members whose goal is to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. 

“For 25 years, we have been driven by the story of Ryan White and the children from Riley, and for the last 10 years, we have been equally moved by the life of former IU student Ashley Crouse,” said Sam Luebbe, IU Dance Marathon president. “These people are pillars of what our organization stands for: courage, love and a commitment to put others first.”

Former IU student Jill Stewart Waibel established the IU Dance Marathon in 1991, in honor of her friend Ryan White, a patient at Riley Hospital for Children who became an AIDS activist after contracting HIV through contaminated blood transfusions. White died in 1990, at the age of 18, from complications of AIDS.

In its first year, the event raised $10,900. In 2014, IU Dance Marathon, the second-largest student-run philanthropic organization in the country, raised a record-breaking $3.2 million, which includes money raised by similar dance marathons held throughout the year at partner high schools in the area. 

In total, IU Dance Marathon has raised more than $20 million.

“The money raised by IU Dance Marathon has funded infectious disease caregivers, researchers and clinical support at the Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and infectious disease research at Riley Hospital for Children,” said Kate Burnett, senior communications officer at Riley Children’s Foundation. "Their efforts have impacted families directly through clinical care within the hospital and research to improve the care of generations to come. They have truly made miracles happen for Riley kids and their families for the past 25 years. We are so grateful to be their partner in fundraising, and we cannot wait to celebrate all they accomplish at this year’s IUDM.”

The theme of this year’s dance marathon is “Bringing Legacy to Life.” In addition to honoring White and Riley Hospital children, the event will also honor Ashley Louise Crouse, an executive council member of the group who died in a car accident in 2005.

Speakers at this year’s event include Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White; representatives and families from Riley Hospital for Children; and representatives from the Children’s Miracle Network. 

“This year, we’re dedicated to ‘bringing legacy to life’ through a commitment to Ryan White and Ashley Louise Crouse, the individuals who inspire all of our work,” said Will Tenbarge, vice president of finance for IU Dance Marathon. “Our goal is two-fold: to provide more sick children with the opportunity to create their own legacies and to leave a legacy as an organization in our 25th year."

About Riley Children's Foundation

Riley Children's Foundation supports Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Camp Riley and the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. Riley at IU Health has provided compassionate care, support and comfort to children and their families since 1924. The hospital's partnership with Indiana University Health and its strong affiliation with the Indiana University School of Medicine make Riley Hospital the leader in pediatric care in the state and the region.