Last Saturday, April 1, the annual McDance-A-Thon dance marathon was held at McLean High School. Students came to the event to to have fun for a good cause; they danced and fundraised for eight hours. All money raised leading up to and during the event was donated to Children’s Miracle Network.

“[Children’s Miracle Network] is an important charity; it is crucial that we do all we can [to help],” co-executive of the McDance-A-Thon club Bobby Trono said. “We can use the size of our student body to benefit and help kids and teens to stay alive and healthy.”

The dance marathon was a wild success this year, raising $32,695.71—over $7,000 above the school’s goal. The McDance-A-Thon club is student-run, and a large amount of work is required of the members to make the event possible.

“We have been working so hard this past year with car washes over the summer and bake sales throughout the year, as well as neighborhood canning,” Trono said.

The McDance-A-Thon club has been fundraising and planning the event since the beginning of the school year to surpass their goal and raise awareness about the cause.

“There are so many families out there who are in need of help, and we are all very capable of lending them a hand,” freshman Barbara Esteves, a top fundraiser in the club, said. “I think [McDance-a-Thon] went very well because we ended up passing our goal and everyone had a great time while doing it.”

The lasting impact of McDance-A-Thon is not a small one, and students are optimistic about the continuation of the event.

“Each year the club continues to grow, which means that we can help and save the lives of more and more children,” Trono said. “We want to do all we can to help the kids and allow the club to continue to evolve.”