By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Dance Marathon is still somewhat new to Geneseo, as it was introduced to the community in 2022, but it isn’t new to the Ryan and Mandy Kelly family of Geneseo.

Last year, they were instrumental in bringing the idea for the first Mini Dance Marathon to Geneseo High School.

This year’s event will be from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, at Geneseo High School.

The event is open to high school students who have each raised $25 which will be donated to the St. Ambrose Dance Marathon which is then funneled into the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

The Kelly family was introduced to Dance Marathon when their youngest daughter, Addi Kelly, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on April 23, 2019. She was seven years old then and is now 11 years old and in fifth grade at Millikin Grade School in Geneseo.

At the University of Iowa and St. Ambrose University, Dance Marathon is a year-long organization providing support to families receiving treatment at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Mandy Kelly explained, “In order to help the colleges raise money, high schools can have Mini Dance Marathons.”

GHS students are in charge of marketing the Dance Marathon and businesses and community members can help support by donating to an individual, the dance captains, or by supporting the group as a whole.

“Our small community is amazing and so incredibly generous,” Mandy Kelly said. “They have embraced this mission. Last year our kids raised almost $23,000, and that is amazing!”

She continued, “It is not just about the money. These kids are showing compassion and empathy on a big stage. They are bringing awareness about pediatric illnesses and the amazing hospital we have so close to us. These kids are learning about something so much larger than themselves.”

The local Dance Marathon group currently is sponsoring four families in the community that have had children treated or who are being treated at Stead Family Children’ Hospital in Iowa City.

The mission of the 2023 DM captains is:

-Spread awareness for the families.

-Change families lives one dollar at a time.

-Each student has their own personal reason for helping, but we are all united under the mission to fight for the kids!

-“We are raising our funds by reaching out to local businesses, promoting our own donor drive accounts, and putting on fun events like the dodge ball tournament.”

Ryan Kelly is a teacher at Geneseo High School and he, his wife Mandy, and GHS teacher Sara Bertelsen make up the advisors of the Mini Dance Marathon at GHS.

Donations to the Geneseo Mini Dance Marathon can be left or mailed to Geneseo High School, 700 North State St., Geneso, IL 61254

In addition, the community can support the Dance Marathon in various ways, including:

-By encouraging high school students to create a Door Drive account and raise money.

-By donating to the school Donor Drive account.

-By following the students on the social media platforms – Instagram (@ghs.dancemarathon); Twitter (@ghs_dm22); TikTok (@ghs.dance.marathon).

COMMENTS FROM DANCE MARATHON CAPTAINS AT GHS

-Mia Kelly – “After watching the impact Dance Marathon had on my family, I wanted to help make an impact on other families’ lives. DM not only gives financial support to families, but gives them memories and smiles they will never forget.”

-Emma DeBaene – “For me there was no hesitation when the opportunity arose to take part in Dance Marathon at the start of my sophomore year. This is currently my second year as a captain and I could not be move excited to help out with this great event!

There are quite a few reasons for why I got involved, but it really came down to the impact and community. Ultimately, the money that we fundraise goes to the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, a place and city where I and a lot of my peers have a close relationship with. Every dollar that we raise goes directly toward the families, and that is an impact that Dance Marathon makes of which I could not be more proud. But what follows this, is the community. It is safe to say that Geneseo is a very small town, and typically a lot of the impact that myself and my peers can make is very much localized. Dance Marathon pulls together both the sense of the small, loving community that we live in, but also translates it into a larger impact through St. Ambrose and the Iowa Children’s Hospital.

With all that being said, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Dance Marathon, and for the Kelley’s for bringing this opportunity to our community. Most importantly, I will be dancing this March 4, in honor of those who can’t. Please consider donating, we appreciate everyone’s support.”