Last Sunday, Dance Marathon hosted a lively 5k run that raised over $2000 for this year’s foundation, A Better Life For Kids. This event is just the tip of the iceberg; though it was one of the biggest events, Dance Marathon has several activities set up for the coming year.

“I love that I was able to run for a good cause,” Conor Perreault, senior, said. “It’s also always fun to race with people that are just there to have a good time and do a good thing: it makes for a great atmosphere.” Snacks were served and music was played as runners bustled around the track, but the running wasn’t the only activity there; face-painting was also a popular activity at the 5k.

Over 100 people attended the race, including alumni, adults, and kids from the community. The race is one of the most well-attended events of the year, partly due to the fact that it’s a consistent occasion; the run is held every year. This year it took place on Niles West’s track, with contestants running nearly 13 laps around the field.

“Over $2000 was raised that day,” Rachael Xavier, Dance Marathon committee member, stated. But this is just a fraction of what will be raised this year. Every year since 2003, District 219 students nominate and elect an organization to raise money towards, with donations averaging around eighty thousand dollars for the chosen foundation.

A Better Life For Kids is an organization founded by Shelley Nizynski, former Middleton teacher, that helps disabled children in Ghana get love and care that they wouldn’t otherwise receive. “She taught these kids sign language and gave them an education,” Tahlia Altgold, Dance Marathon executive, said. Due to the stigma in Ghana against those with disabilities, most of the kids they work with wouldn’t receive any type of care otherwise; in fact, most of the children are abused or neglected.

Usually, the money raised by A Better Life For Kids would go towards an orphanage there, but ever since the government in Ghana shut down the orphanage, the money now goes towards a program geared towards schooling and feeding the kids. One of the programs included is called Eggs for Kids. They have an arrangement with a local farm to provide eggs for the children. “(This is) so that they get protein,” Altgold explains. “They also provide schooling, you can sponsor a kids to go to school, they raise money for baby formula.” 

A Better Life For Kids is focused mainly on the well-being of the kids it can reach, including providing a good education for them. That’s why they have a sponsorship program. An education for a child in Ghana would cost us an average of $250, and an education for a deaf or otherwise disabled child would be the equivalent of around $750.

If you missed out on the 5k, don’t worry; you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to help out. Dance Marathon has a wide variety of fundraising activities, including trivia nights, karaoke nights, North’s Got Talent, and a multitude of bake sales.