McLean’s McDance-a-Thon club is hosting their annual seven hour dance marathon on Mar. 16 from 3 to 10pm, and this year’s theme is Live in Color. At the dance, they will reveal the amount of money they’ve raised throughout the year for Children’s National Hospital.

“I think this year’s dance will be even better than previous dances because we’re working on incorporating new fundraising pushes, new games, and we’re bringing in new people who are connected with the hospital,” club sponsor Bridget Donoghue said.

McDance-a-Thon brings in a live DJ for people to dance to, and there are different games throughout the day. This year, they will be joined by Miracle Kids (children who were treated at the hospital), a doctor at Children’s National and Gavin and Wendy Lindberg, the founders of the EVAN Foundation, an organization dedicated to pediatric cancer research that McDance-a-Thon has partnered with before. During the marathon, members are encouraged to stand for all seven hours.

“We avoid sitting for these seven hours as a show of solidarity for the kids treated at Children’s National Hospital,” Donoghue said. “We are going to have a lot of fun games and activities, but I think we’re most excited to make connections to people who have had experiences at Children’s National.”

Last year, the club raised $61,084.17 for Children’s National Hospital, and this year they are on track to raise even more, hopefully being a record-breaking year for fundraising. The club has been hosting many different small fundraisers throughout the year, and many of them have been successful in raising money or bringing in donations.

“We’re always hoping to surpass the total fundraising from the year before, but this year it’s been a mindset to really push from the beginning of the year,” said senior Talia Russo, a McDance-a-Thon executive. “Beating it will take all of us, so we’re in an all hands on deck mentality.”

The leadership teams of the club have been preparing for the dance since early January, as it’s such a large event for them. Every hour is separated into its own theme, and there will be many unique and different ideas for each one.

“Everyone should come out to the dance,” sophomore club member Erin Collins said. “It’s a fun and great way to bring together McLean students while raising money for kids who need it.”