DAVENPORT, IOWA (April 7, 2023) — On Saturday, April 22, St Ambrose University Dance Marathon will host their annual Big Event in their Wellness and Recreation Center to raise money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Last year, SAU Dance Marathon raised over $250,000 despite all the challenges faced due to COVID-19. Our fundraising for this year will conclude at 11:59PM on April 22. The total will be revealed at midnight after a full day of celebration of the local kids who receive treatment at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
The event is open to students, alumni, sponsors, faculty, staff, volunteers, and the SAUDM miracle families. Throughout the event, participants, including 250-plus dancers, eighty committee members, eleven executive-board directors, 51 miracle families, and fifty-plus volunteers, will stand on their feet for 13.1 hours to celebrate the lives of the children and their families being treated at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Events are booked throughout the entire day. Schedule highlights for media presence are listed below.
In 2022, nearly 500 students at St Ambrose University united for a year-long mission: to raise money for and to support the kiddos at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. We concluded our year-long fundraising with a 13.1-hour event. Throughout the day, we engaged with families, alumni, and dancers on social media and finally revealed that we had raised $250,386.10 all to change kids' health and change the future.
At SAU, every dollar fundraised by our dancers goes straight to the Hospital.
Thus far, we have raised over 1.9 million dollars for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. We have funded a Child Life Resource Space, NICU equipment, a brand-new inclusive playground for the UI Center for Disabilities and Development, research, and training for Ponseti International, and this year, our fundraising project is the General Nursing Fund at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. UISFCH has over 500 nurses. Our donation will be the largest ever given to pediatric nursing at UISFCH. We will provide funds for things like staff-development activities, recognition and engagement events, shadowing at other sites, and overall education. These funds will help support the nurses that take care of our kiddos and families and so many more.
Schedule Highlights:
- 11AM- 12:10PM, Opening Ceremonies, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 12:07PM, Amy Novak Speech
- 12-2PM, Chem Club Nitrogen Ice Cream, WRC Lobby
- 12-4PM, Therapy Dogs — Fieldhouse
- 12-10PM, Carnival and Yard Games — Fieldhouse
- 12:10PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 12:15-12:30PM, Family Talk — Addi Kelly, Main Stage-Fieldhouse
- 1PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 1-1PM, DIOH Room, Wellness and Recreation Center 2nd Floor
- 1:05-1:20PM, Family Talk — Michael Stratford, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 1:30-2PM, Zumba, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 2:00pm, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 2:05-3PM, Kiddo Talent Show, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 3PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 3-4PM, Pop-Up Screen Printing, WRC Lobby
- 3:05-3:20PM, Family Talk — Tori Vogel (DIOH), Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 3:30-4PM, Yoga, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 4PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 4-6PM, Caricature Artist — Fieldhouse
- 4:05-4:20PM, Family Talk — Bigby Sudarth, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 4:30-5PM, Magic Show, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 5PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 5:05-5:20PM, Family Talk — Reid Gleeson (DIOH), Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 5:30-6PM, Athlete Hour, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 6PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 6:05-6:20PM, Family Talk — Lauryn Kuehl, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 6:30-7PM, Color Wars, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 7PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 7:05-7:20PM, Family Talk — Abigail Ziolkowski, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 7:20PM, Mini Reveal, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 7:30-8PM, Hair Cutting, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 8PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 8-9PM, Alumni Hour, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 8:05-8:20PM, Family Talk — Donald Hinz, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 8:30-8:40PM, Founders Speech, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 9PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 9:05-9:20PM, Family Talk — Madi Ramirez, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 9:20-9:45PM, Morale Captain Game Show, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 9:45-9:55PM, Paper Bag Dance Competition, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 10PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 10:20-10:25PM, Award Announcements (Raffle Baskets, Dollar Drawing, Color War), Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 10:26PM, Announce Kayla Decker Top Fundraiser Award, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 10:30-11:25PM, Power Hour, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 11:26PM, Morale Dance, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 11:35-11:50PM, Family Talk — Jackson Gipe (DIOH), Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 11:55PM, DIOH Talk, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 12AM, DM11 Year Recap Video, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 12:17AM, Big Reveal, Main Stage — Fieldhouse
- 12:20AM, Group Photo, Circle of Hope, Last Morale Dance, Cut-off Hospital Bracelets — Main Stage — Fieldhouse
The Media Kit for our event is attached below and a printed copy will also be given out at the Big Event on April 22 at our Media Check-in in the Wellness and Recreation Center. Media kits will include SAUDM history, event details, family information, where our funding is going, exec board contact information, and more. Media can check in and leave at any point in the day.
For More Information:
- Website: saudm.org
- Facebook: @saudancemarathon
- Instagram: saudancemarathon
"Dance Marathon is a yearlong celebration of life to provide emotional and financial support for the families treated at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. Dance Marathon is changing kids' health, because kids can’t wait, and at St. Ambrose, we 'BEElieve in the Kids!'"
— Kids Can’t Wait —
