Superdance

Superdance is a twelve hour danceathon held to raise money for children with Cystic Fibrosis. Every year it is held at Bishop O'Connell High School where the students have raised over $3 million since 1976. The Superdance is one of the largest High School fund-raising events in the United States, and until recently was the highest fund-raising event for the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. Superdance began the movement to help find a cure for CF, a little known disease that effects 30,000 people in the United States.

History

Superdance was started in 1976 by Monsignor James McMurtrie, the head of the school at that time. It was started to help raise money to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis, which had been the cause of death of Brenda O'Donnell (an O'Connell student) in 1975. Her sister, Maura O'Donnell, also suffered from CF, and helped start Superdance in her sister's honor. Maura would go on to graduate Bishop O'Connell and go to nursing school, only to die in her first year, also of Cystic Fibrosis. Since then, Superdance has led the fight in finding a cure for CF.

The Dance

In 2006, Superdance raised $186,000. In 2007, the goal is to raise $200,000 in the hope of breaking the three million dollar mark for the total amount collected. That goal has been met. Nearly 98% of Bishop O'Connells students attend Superdance, and it has become the unifying event of the school. At the dance, the students receive a superdance t-shirt, which everyone wears during the dance, creating a sea of white-shirted dancing students. The dance is run nearly entirely by students on committees, who set up the dance, contract the bands, count and collect the money, and provide nearly all the labor. They also advertise the dance on the local news stations and radio stations, as well as on a website, www.superdance.org [http://www.superdance.org] .

Fun Facts

* Each year, Superdance has a theme that is unveiled at the Superdance Assembly, which takes place every year. For 2007 the theme is "Licence to Cure", based on the James Bond movie.
* The some key speakers at the 2007 Superdance were: Bob Ryan (the local weatherman) via camera, Daryl Green (Washington Redskins player) and the head of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
* When Superdance began, the average life expectancy for a cystic fibrosis patient was ten. In 2007, it has become 35.
* Every Superdance ends with Piano Man.
* This year (2008) Mark Brunell came to talk.
* This year (2008) the Superdance happened in two parts due to a power outage in the surrounding neighboorhood. Noon-7 on March 8th and 7-midnight on March 16th

Work cited

* Superdance.org [http://www.superdance.org]
* Bishop Connell School Website [http://www.bishopoconnell.org]