Stanford Dance Marathon

Dance Marathon's MissionStanford Dance Marathon's mission is to educate, inspire, and mobilize the community to combat HIV/AIDS and support international health, culminating in a 24-hour dance-a-thon. Each year hundreds of student participants stay awake and on their feet for 24 hours in a pledged act of solidarity, paying homage to those facing the mental and physical challenges of AIDS every day.

About Stanford Dance Marathon

Stanford Dance Marathon is largest student run philanthropic event at Stanford and in the Bay Area. [ http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/janfeb/farm/news/dance.html] [http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/janfeb/farm/news/dance.htm] Each year hundreds of students raise money and stay on their feet for twenty-four hours, an act of solidarity, to pay homage to those facing the mental and physical challenges of AIDS ever day.

The first Stanford Dance Marathon was led by co-chairs San Jay Shah and Pat Bomach, in 2005. The event was held in Roble Gym. At the time the beneficiary was Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation . [http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2005/1/24/danceMarathonASuccess] [http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2005/1/24/danceMarathonASuccess] Since then the number of participants has increased from 260 students to over 1,0000 students, moving the event to the Stanford Arillaga Alumni center in 2007. Dance Marathon 2007 rose over $150, 893, tripling the amount raise in the 2006 Dance Marathon. Since 2005, Stanford Dance Marathon has raised over $ 380,000 for their beneficiaries. [http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/2/12/danceMarathonRaisesRecordFunds] [http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/2/12/danceMarathonRaisesRecordFunds]

Stanford Dance Marathon's BeneficiariesStanford DM’s sole beneficiary since 2006 has been Partners in Health (PIH). PIH is a non-profit organization that provides modern medical care to the poorest developing countries through its community-based approach. PIH employs community members as paid health care supervisors in an effort to establish sustainable, local care. The organization is known for it’s achievements in treating and preventing illnesses such as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS, while establishing the nutrition, sanitation, and housing standards that make their efforts long-lasting. Founded in 1987 in Haiti, PIH now operates throughout the developing world [http://www.pih.org/home.html] .

In 2009, Stanford DM will adopt a secondary, bay area beneficiary, which will receive 10% of our proceeds. This will also be a health-related organization and will be announced within the next month.

"Fight Now. Fight Together" CampaignStanford DM and another HIV/AIDS organization, Stanford FACE AIDS, are working together in 2008/2009 in a “Fight Now, Fight Together” campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness. Stanford FACE AIDS, which was started in 2005 by 3 Stanford undergraduates, works to fundraise and promote awareness amongst the student community about HIV/AIDS. FACE AIDS chapters now exist in more than 85 universities across the country [http://www.faceaids.org] . This collaborative, year-long campaign will incorporate student groups, community members, and local businesses to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, which is often surrounded by stigma and misconception.

Stanford Dance Marathon 2009

Stanford Dance Marathon 2009 will take place in the Arillaga Alumni Center from 1pm on February 14th to 1 pm on February 15th. The event will also include Family Day, a carnival event that promotes international health awareness through games and activities for children. Since Dance Marathon 2008, three directors and a team of 22 executives have been working around the clock in preparation for the DM 2009. [ [http://dm.stanford.edu/ Stanford DM's Website] ]

ee also

Dance Marathon

References

* [http://dm.stanford.edu/ Stanford DM's Website]
* [http://www.pih.org/home.html PIH]
* [http://www.faceaids.org FACE AIDS Website]