Ole Miss students participated in a 12-hour-long dance marathon Friday night at the Jackson Avenue Center benefiting Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
People during the RebelTHON fundraiser event for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Oxford, Miss., Friday, April 5, 2013. The event raised over $25,000. (Thomas Graning/The DM)
The inaugural University of Mississippi RebelTHON dance marathon benefiting Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis was held Friday night at the Jackson Avenue Center and raised $25,409.73.
Rob Barber, sophomore public policy major and member of the organizing committee for RebelTHON, said that the event was a success.
“After registering 509 dancers, we had a little over 375 show up for the event itself,” Barber said. “Over 150 stayed for the duration of the marathon.”
The 12-hour-long dance marathon kicked off with a brief speech from Chancellor Dan Jones.
Each hour of the event had a theme, ranging from carnival hour to school spirit hour to rave hour.
During the school spirit hour, Ole Miss football players and cheerleaders made an appearance to energize the crowd and meet children and families from Le Bonheur.
Ole Miss musical acts King Kobraz and The Snakes in the Grass performed live at the event, performing songs such as “It’s a Riot” and “Feed Moncrief.”
Blake Pruett, junior English major and member of King Kobraz, felt honored to perform.
“We were really privileged to be on stage and to share it with the families that have faced so much hardship,” Pruett said.
Pruett said he enjoyed working with another band.
“We were really excited about playing the show with The Snakes in the Grass, especially since it was the first time we have worked together,” Pruett said. “Right before us there was a preteen tap-dance troupe that is beyond words to describe, which definitely was a hard act to follow.”
According to Barber, members of the RebelTHON board were pleased with the funds raised by the event.
“For a dance marathon’s inaugural year, the kind of turnout RebelTHON experienced was truly phenomenal,” Barber said.
RebelTHON set the national fundraising record for a first-year event.
“By surpassing the previous fundraising record of $15K, RebelTHON became the most successful first-year dance marathon of all time,” Barber said.
Attendees participated in a “morale dance” at the top of every hour, which kicked off the beginning of a new theme.
Following each morale dance, people who had been affected by Le Bonheur spoke about their experiences with the children’s hospital.
Throughout the night participants engaged in various activities.
“Activities included field day competitions such as a three-legged race and tug-of war,” said Adam Stanford, senior liberal studies major and co-founder of RebelTHON.
Stanford explained that most of the events were meant to recall the experience of being a kid again.
“RebelTHON hosted several kids from Le Bonheur, and it was fun to see college students interacting with the kids on the same level,” Stanford said.
Participants were able to have their photos taken, make their way through an inflatable obstacle course and participate in an auction. A professional hula dancer from Hawaii also taught participants how to hula dance during the luau hour.
After 12 hours standing, the event concluded with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Brandi Hephner Labanc speaking to the participants and announcing the grand total raised.
Claire Reid, senior international studies and Spanish major, was pleased with how everything turned out.
“I felt completely overwhelmed from the amount of success and support. All of the families who came are so incredibly grateful for what we did,” she said.
Preparation for next year’s RebelTHON will begin immediately.
“This upcoming week we’re having a board meeting and deciding about transitioning,” Reid said. “Interviews will be held for an executive board, and people can also apply for committees. There are a number of positions available.”
Fundraising events for next year are already being planned.
“We’ve already discussed some fundraising events to host in the fall, such as an Ole Miss Color Run,” Barber said.
