Raiders ready to dance

Raiderthon, Wright State ‘s dance marathon, takes place Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room.

Hundreds of Wright State students are dancing for a cure. They will spend 15 hours dancing, having fun and meeting Miracle Children sponsored by Wright State at Raiderthon on Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room.

Raiderthon is an annual dance marathon that encourages students to be on their feet for 15 hours to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network, which treats children for conditions ranging from broken bones to cancer.

Wright State’s Raiderthon raises money for Dayton Children’s Hospital, which encourages hope for their patients. Proceeds from Raiderthon go toward hospital equipment, gas gift cards for families for their travel and family room updates for those who are staying overnight in the hospital.

Each year, Wright State welcomes miracle families, who are families who have been strongly impacted by Dayton Children’s Hospital. They visit Raiderthon and get to spend time with morale captains.

Students have created teams to raise money, some of which have raised over $2,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. Individual dancers have also raised money, with the highest numbers over $600.

Proceeds from Raiderthon are donated to Dayton Children’s Hospital for hospital equipment, gas gift cards for families for their travel and rooms.

Kelsi Regan, executive director of Raiderthon, has been involved for several years as a morale captain and marketing director. She said she always looks forward to seeing the amount students raise during Raiderthon.

“It’s always really encouraging,” she said. “No matter what it is, it’s super exciting.”

Miracle Makers, the student organization in charge of Raiderthon every year, has hosted several fundraisers leading up to the dance marathon. Local restaurants, such as Papa John’s, Chick-Fil-A, Chipotle and IHOP, as well as several on-campus fundraisers, such as Raise Your Brush, where students painted pictures of Alumni Tower, and the Grilled Cheese hotline, where students could order a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

During the dance marathon, City Barbecue, Panda Express and Kappa Delta Sorority will provide meals. Organizations like the Rainbow Alliance and University Activities Board will provide entertainment with a drag show and a performance by magician and comedian Joseph Tran.

More information is available at https://www.wright.edu/event/raiderthon.