10th Annual UNC Dance Marathon to benefit patients and families of North Carolina Children's Hospital

Feb. 19, 2008

10th Annual UNC Dance Marathon to benefit patients and families of  North Carolina Children's Hospital

More than 1,100 UNC-Chapel Hill students have committed to stand on their feet for a full 24 hours this coming Friday at the tenth annual UNC Dance Marathon. The event celebrates the conclusion of the student participants' year-long fundraising efforts in support of the patients and families of North Carolina Children's Hospital.

The UNC Dance Marathon, held at UNC-CH's Fetzer Gym, will feature around-the-clock entertainment from campus and community performance groups, varsity athletes, professional bands, and guest speakers. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, with festivities culminating in a grand total fundraising announcement at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.

The UNC Dance Marathon has raised more than $1.3 million for N.C. Children's Hospital over the past nine years, each year superseding the previous year's fundraising total. Last year's UNC Dance Marathon was the most successful to date, raising more than $236,000 for the Marathon's For the Kids Fund.

The fund enables the UNC Dance Marathon to give directly to N.C. Children's Hospital's families to help with extra costs not associated with health care expenses that they may not otherwise be able to afford — expenses such as gas and car repairs so parents can visit their sick children, parking and meal vouchers, utility bills that might otherwise go unpaid due to looming medical bills, gift certificates to local retailers, clothing and toys for kids, etc. N.C. Children’s Hospital social workers have discretion to disperse For the Kids Funds to families on an as-needed basis throughout the year.

In addition to helping cover needy families' essential expenses in their times of medical and financial hardship, the UNC Dance Marathon has extended the reach of its fundraising efforts in recent years by funding divisional grants with specific clinical divisions within N.C. Children's Hospital. In 2007, grant recipients included the Newborn Critical Care Center within the hospital's Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, which received funding to purchase two NICU Knowledge kiosks.

The kiosks are freestanding, interactive touch-screen computers containing educational modules designed to increase parents' comfort level within the NICU environment and enable them to become confident participants in their child's care. Modules range from an introduction to equipment and explanation of medical terms to recognition of infant signals.

"Our parents and staff love the new NICU Knowledge units," said Dr. Kate Veness-Meehan, director of the Newborn Critical Care Center, which admits an average of 700 infants each year. "They have furthered our ability to deliver family-centered care and caregiver education, particularly with our Hispanic families, who often times struggle with language and cultural barriers. We are extremely grateful to the UNC Dance Marathon for this gift, which continues to make a tremendous and very positive impact."

Members of the press are invited to cover this unique event. The public is also encouraged to attend and lend their support throughout the 24-hour event and particularly during the kick-off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, and during the closing ceremony beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, which will feature presentations by patients and families and close with a celebratory announcement of the overall fundraising total.

Donations can be made in-person or online at the UNC Dance Marathon's official Web site at www.uncmarathon.org, which will additionally offer a 24-hour online Web cast of the event. The 2008 UNC Dance Marathon also features an online auction, accessible via the Web site and offering a variety of items ranging from gift certificates donated by area vendors, restaurants and attractions to gift items such as jewelry and accessory packages. Auction items are open to bidding the week leading up to the event and close at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, with proceeds contributing to the overall fundraising total.

For more information about the tenth annual UNC Dance Marathon, please visit www.uncmarathon.org.

Hospital Media contact: Danielle M. Bates, (919) 843-9714 or dbates@med.unc.edu

UNC Dance Marathon media contact: Elisabeth Cordell, (910) 381-5545 or ecordell@email.unc.edu

    
ABOUT THE UNC-CH DANCE MARATHON
The UNC Dance Marathon unifies the University and surrounding community in order to improve the quality of life for the children and families of North Carolina Children's Hospital by demonstrating support for their needs and raising funds to address those needs. The UNC Dance Marathon is an annual event held at UNC-CH, which culminates the year-round fundraising efforts of more than 1,000 student participants. It has raised more than $1.3 million to benefit N.C. Children's Hospital over the past nine years since its inception and grows in both participation and fundraising success with each passing year. For more information about the UNC Dance Marathon, please visit www.uncmarathon.org.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Each year, more that 60,000 children from all 100 counties across the state make over 200,000 visits to North Carolina Children's Hospital. The hospital relocated to a state-of-the-art facility in 2002, which includes a comprehensive children's outpatient center and 136 inpatient beds in a child-friendly, family-focused environment. It is the first children's hospital in North Carolina to bring together complete inpatient and outpatient care in one location. For more information about North Carolina Children's Hospital, please visit the NCCH website at www.ncchildrenshospital.org.