On Saturday, May 14 from 6 PM-12 AM in the Niles West High School fieldhouse, Dance Marathon will host its annual end of year celebration to commemorate the multitude of generous donations made over the year towards Girl Forward. 

“The members of Dance Marathon have worked incredibly to support Girl Forward,” Dance Marathon co-sponsor Dena Lichterman said.” “They have volunteered in person with the girls, have gone canning outside of stores to raise money, and have organized countless fundraisers this year. This group of executive committee members have put in immeasurable time to help raise funds and education about Girl Forward.”

Girl Forward is a charity organization dedicated to creating and enhancing opportunities for girls who have been displaced globally by conflict and persecution, serving girls ages 14-21 in grades 9-12 who identify as refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers. They currently work to support girls through their mentoring, education and safe space programs.

Throughout the year, Dance Marathon has worked tirelessly alongside the Niles North community, partnering with local small businesses and organizations such as Peach Apparel, Threads Worldwide, and Usborne Books to continue to raise money for the cause. 

By hosting entertaining fundraiser events such as the Variety Show, thrift stores, and trivia nights, the members of Dance Marathon have consistently shown their unwavering dedication and commitment to the organization’s mission to financially support its selected charity organizations. 

“My favorite part about organizing Dance Marathon’s annual end of year celebration is getting to see all of our hard work throughout the year come together for an amazing celebration that the whole district can take part in,” Dance Marathon Outreach Committee Executive Grace Murphy said. “It’s also just such a fun night filled with socializing, eating, dancing, and celebrating that I look forward to throughout the entire year.”

The highly anticipated event is set to feature free food, drinks, games, a DJ, and even a special performance by Auroris. Those who have successfully raised their money as specified in the goal they established in the beginning of the school year are not required to pay an entry fee, while the general cost for all other attendees is $15 if tickets are purchased ahead of time or $20 at the door. You can buy tickets here. 

Every hour of the event will feature a new dress theme which is featured below:

6pm-7pm: DM Gear

7pm-8pm: HS Cliche

8pm-9pm: Rainbow

9pm- 10pm: Cowboy vs Alien

10pm-11pm: Beach/Floral

11pm- 12am: Neon

“I hope that DM is able to continue growing by raising more money for our primary and secondary beneficiaries in addition to having more underclassmen participation,” Murphy said. “I also hope that we are able to keep adding events to our yearly agenda to engage more of the Niles North community. As part of the Outreach Committee, I also hope that we are able to add more events that cater to the broader D219 community as a whole and form new connections with community organizations.”