As the holiday season begins, McLean’s McDance-a-Thon club kicks off their multitude of winter fundraisers, many of which are annual traditions, to bring in donations. All proceeds from the events will be used to support Children’s National Hospital.

“It feels really good to raise money for the kids and their families who need it, especially since we are raising it for a somewhat local community,” junior Serafina Orvis said. “The fundraisers are some of my favorites because I get to hangout with friends while doing something good.”

The club’s annual Double Good online popcorn sale began on Dec. 9, and ends on Dec. 14. Students can donate by purchasing popcorn from a link provided by a club member and can choose from a wide variety of flavors.

“I look forward to the Double Good popcorn fundraiser every year because I send it out to my family and they love getting the popcorn,” Orvis said. “I think this year I’ve raised $700 from that fundraiser alone, which is a new personal record.”

On Sunday, Dec. 15th, from 12:45pm-1:30pm, McDance-a-Thon will be partnering with CycleBar in Falls Church for a donation based fundraiser. After creating a CycleBar account, participants can choose to donate an amount of their choice—with a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $100—to pay for the class.

“This is something totally new, and it’s really cool that they got a company to host this sort of event, especially since cycle classes have become really popular,” Orvis said. “I’m really excited for this and the rest of the year to see what else we can do for Children’s National and for the kids.”

McDance-a-Thon will also be hosting their annual toy drive in room R134, with final donations on Friday, Dec. 20. Donations consist of any new toys, and all donations will be given to the kids on the oncology and hematology floors at Children’s National Hospital. McDance-a-Thon collaborates with the Evan Foundation for this fundraiser, a foundation created in honor of Evan Lindberg, who fought neuroblastoma.

“I like the holiday fundraisers because they get you in the holiday spirit while helping the kids,” junior Ashley O’Sullivan said. “It’s really helpful because we raise a lot of money for Children’s National, and we feel really connected to them.”