Auburn University Dance Marathon is an organization that raises money for Piedmont Columbus Regional, which is Auburn’s local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Columbus, Georgia. The executive board discussed upcoming events and their favorite memories of being involved in the organization.
Although Piedmont is located in Columbus, it is the primary hospital for children in Auburn and Opelika.
Piedmont is in the process of building a stand-alone, 30-bed children’s hospital that will assist children with more specific needs as well as making renovations to the existing one, according to their website.
Children's Miracle Network has 170 hospitals across North America and provides care for the more than 10 million children that enter one of their hospitals each year.
Ashton Hill, president of AUDM and senior in philanthropy and nonprofit studies, said that in all of their events and recruitment push weeks throughout the year, their main goal is to raise overall awareness of the hospital alongside fundraising.
On Oct. 2, AUDM will be celebrating Child’s Health Day, a national holiday that raises awareness for children’s health, families and those who work hard to help them. AUDM members will meet at Cater Lawn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with games and free food, and all students are welcome.
AUDM's Main Event will be on Feb. 17, 2024, which is their biggest event of the year. It lasts for 12 hours and consists of various engagement opportunities for members and participants. During the event, members of each designated color group have a set time to go up on stage and perform a dance that they've been learning throughout the year. Last year, they offered everything from Irish dancing lessons to a silent disco, as well as free food and games.
Members can pledge to stand for the entirety of the event, showing support for their mission statement: "We dance for those who can’t." Fundraising pushes are held throughout the day as everyone is eager to see the number flip at the conclusion of the event.
Jenna Fairbrother, vice president of advancement for AUDM and junior in psychology and political science, said that her favorite memory from Main Event this past year was the number flip.
“When you’re out there able to see the looks on everyone’s faces, when you flip that number with hundreds of people watching to see what you flip up, seeing the joy on their faces and knowing how much of an impact that it’s going to make on our hospital, there are few things that come close to that feeling,” Fairbrother said.
Sam Laggan, vice president of operations for AUDM and junior in business administration, said his favorite part of Main Event this past year was Bama Power Hour. This event was an Iron Bowl fundraising challenge against Alabama’s Dance Marathon, UA Miracle. AUDM won, so they rolled the ballroom to celebrate.
“We have our miracle families come throughout the day, so staff and participants are really able to see the tangible impact of the money that we’re fundraising for,” Fairbrother said.
They also have some of the miracle kids and families go on stage and share their testimonies, linking them to different fundraising pushes throughout the day.
Main Event is a day to honor miracle families and celebrate everything members have accomplished throughout the year. Last year, AUDM raised over $100,000 during the event.
Along with these two events, AUDM holds recruitment push weeks for Auburn students to register for Main Event and donate as well as fundraising push weeks.
For a lot of members, AUDM holds a special place in their hearts.
“It’s really cool to be on the frontline and be able to really see the difference that I’m making in the lives of children’s health,” Laggan said.
"I don’t really have a personal connection to Children’s Miracle Network, but it’s a way I can help and visibly see the impact it has on the children themselves and their families and the relief it brings,” said Austin Rooker, vice president of administration for AUDM and junior in accounting.
Hill has witnessed the effect of Children’s Miracle Network since she was in fifth grade, as her dad works for the hospital.
“At such a young age seeing college students pour into something that was bigger than themselves was really impactful,” Hill said. “When I came to Auburn it was the one thing involvement-wise that I knew I wanted to be a part of, and since coming to college, my love for the cause and everything has just completely grown.”
Fairbrother said that she’s met many like-minded people in AUDM who have become like family to her.
“I honestly just can’t say enough good things about how it’s changed my perspective on not just being a student and being a person on campus, but overall, the different perspectives of what other individuals and what our miracle families are going through on a daily basis,” Fairbrother said.
Tatum Mitchell, vice president of communications and marketing for AUDM and senior in human resource management, said that one of her favorite parts of being involved with the organization is becoming best friends with the miracle kids and getting to know their families.
Mitchell explained that one of their miracle kids, Grant, uses his mom’s BeReal. to react to her posts so she can keep up with him and his family.
Anna Sadie, vice president of recruitment for AUDM and senior in human development and family science, said that another one of their mission statements is “For the next generation.”
“There’s really nowhere else you can go to be around awesome college kids, have a really good time and also be pouring into the next generation of Auburn students,” said Sadie.
Rooker shared that one of his favorite parts of being in AUDM is seeing all the different groups of people come together as one for the same cause.
“We stand because our kids are fighting in the hospital, so we can fight for 12 hours for them,” Hill said.
Registration for Main Event is now live and open to all students.
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