Countdown to a Cure

Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern

The final total

Final amount raised by Dance Marathon 2007: $708,711.20, including donations of goods and time.

$423,027.68 of the amount raised will go to CURE and $47,003 to the Evanston Community Foundation.

Text: Libby Nelson/The Daily Northwestern

Photos:
(Top and middle)
Susan Axelrod, President and founder of CURE looks on as the DM executives thank students for their partication in the event.

Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern


(Bottom)
Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

The Biggest Winners of DM

The Delta Gamma and Zeta Beta Tau fundraising chairs had to bring their money in duffel bags.

It wasn't until the DM fundraising chairs counted it that they found out they'd not only raised more money than any other group, but that they'd raised $65,000 more.

"It took lots of hard work — thousands of hours of canning, thousands of letters, all across the board," ZBT fundraising chairman Phillip Reich said.

Philanthropy chair Peter Koelsch said the realization the two groups raised more than $83,000 still hasn't sunk in yet.

"It still hasn't hit me," the Weinberg sophomore said. "The sheer amount of money we were able to bring in is astounding. I'm excited, tired and happy for us - this is fulfilling."

It was a mutual feeling for Delta Gamma, said Katherine Veeder, a Medill junior and a member of Delta Gamma.

"It's a lot of hard work, standing out in the snow and rain, asking for money," she said. "But it's bigger than you or I or the dancing- it's about the beneficiary and finding a cure."

The two groups will take home a tall trophy. The couple who raised the most money are taking home a little bit more — an eight-day trip to London and Paris.

This isn't anything new for Weinberg sophomore Joe Bellanca and SESP sophomore Lilly Hubschman, who were the winning couple last year too and just returned from the trip they won at DM 2006.

Their secret? Letters, and "making it clear why you should support it," Hubschman said.

The two plan to dance all four years, she said.

Text: Libby Nelson and Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern


Members of Zeta Beta Tau hoist their trophy high above the crowd after learning they raised over $83,000 for DM.

Photo: Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern

The last hour

(Bottom)
SESP senior Lauren Parnell dances on the shoulders of a friend during the last hour of DM 2007.

Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern

Breaking it down

The dancers learned the 30 Hour Dance during DM, learning a small piece before each break, and performed it just before midnight Sunday morning.

Joanna Allerhand/The Daily Northwestern

Celebrities Support DM

Although they aren't dancing, many celebrities supported Dance Marathon by donating movie posters, DVDs and other paraphernalia to this year's silent auction.

The DM celebrity auction netted $7,181 total over the course of the event.

The items for auction were donated to DM by the celebrities themselves.

"People are definitely pretty impressed by how big some of the people are that signed this stuff," said Sean Crow, a McCormick freshman who was watching the auction for his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon.

The auction ends at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Text: Elise Foley/The Daily Northwestern
Photo: Dan Fletcher/The Daily Northwestern