By ALYSSA ALFANO
BGSU Student Contributor
Months of fundraising, 120 miles of biking, and 24 hours of dancing brought Ziggython to an end at the Perry Field House on Sunday evening.
The amount of time and energy that went into this event was well worth it for the dancers, bikers and miracle children.
Money was raised throughout the event in several ways. Visitors paid 5 dollars at the door to enter Dance Marathon. Eric’s Ice Cream had a stand and there were several stands selling T-shirts and other DM apparel.
Dancers could pay to sit down, for time to nap, to take a shower and other luxuries throughout the event. Visitors could pay to send their friends who were dancing to “jail,” among many other things.
Throughout the event, morale captains taught dancers pieces of the final dance and by the end of the 24 hours, bikers and dancers were able to join together to close Ziggython with a funny, uplifting and exciting dance.
Dancers were able to play cornhole, basketball, and other games with the miracle children and their families.
Food was provided for the dancers at the event. Acapella groups on campus came to perform for the dancers and visitors at Ziggython. There was a fun rave for the dancers to participate in. Zumba and other activities were also provided to help keep the dancers active, motivated, and excited throughout the event.
A grand total of $369,457 was raised by the end of the end of the event. The months of fundraising followed by the money raised during the 24 hours really paid off.
The end of Ziggython was a very emotional time for participants of dance marathon. Bikers returned to the event around 5 p.m. Many families and friends of participants showed up to the event bearing flowers, and signs that congratulated and welcomed back the bikers and dancers.
Dancers formed a tunnel around the Perry Field House for dancers to run through. The bikers came in, performed a dance that they put together and then the total for the fundraiser was revealed.
After the dancers and bikers performed their final dance, a balloon drop was followed by many tears as dancers hugged and bikers were greeted by their friends and families.
After a grueling 24 hours on your feet, or a 120 mile bike ride from Cincinnati to Bowling Green, there are a lot of reasons to cry. Perhaps the main reason is knowing how much the families at Mercy Children’s Hospital were helped by the efforts of these participants.
