Trojan Dance marathon helps local hospital

The Trojan Dance Marathon held its eighth annual event, “Dancing Through Time,” in partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network to show support and raise money for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Volunteers danced from 2 p.m. on Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday morning in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom, supported by donations.

Actor Clayton Snyder, most known for his role as Ethan Craft from Lizzie McGuire, delivered the opening remarks. Various dance groups performed throughout the night including USC Ballroom, USC Street Dance Society and the Trojan Marching Band. Miracle Children, or former CHLA patients who have survived cancer, other diseases, or accidents also shared their experiences with CHLA at the dance marathon, and some even performed as well.

“What makes Dance Marathon such a special event is the moment where everyone gets together and they are listening to these kids talk and their parents talk because they know that they are here for the kids,” said Christine Nguyen, CHLA coordinator for Dance Marathon. “CHLA is one of the most special places in the world, not only because of the amazing medical work that they do, but because they want to make kids still feel like kids, not patients.”

Throughout the night, people danced for the Miracle Children and their families and showed their support by getting involved in their stories. Amirah Dales, internal director for Dance Marathon, said that she wanted to increase awareness about Dance Marathon in order to get more people involved.

“I just wish that more people knew about Dance Marathon at USC and join this event and see how much of an impact that could be on the children’s life at CHLA,” Dales said. “My hope for Dance Marathon is to spread the word out more and get more people involved in philanthropy on campus.”

Charlie Henriquez, finance director for Dance Marathon, has been on the planning committee for three years and had high expectations going into the event given USC’s success with the event in past years.

“It was great to see how we were raising more and more money every year. The dance marathon is a huge thing in the East Coast, and USC has been leading the DM on the West Coast,” Henriquez said.

Trojan Dance Marathon was founded in 2008. There are about 40 members in total, four directors and an internal as well as an external team, who put up various fundraisers like Insomnia Cookies, a Blood Drive and Pie for a Life throughout the year, as well as the actual dance marathon to fundraise for CHLA.

Most of the money was raised by the dancers through the online portal called Donor Drive.

Allen Alvarado, a former Miracle Child who was injured in a car accident almost nine years ago, performed with his band at the event and said that CHLA helped him recover in many ways.

“In CHLA they have doctors and nurses who feel like family,” Alvarado said. “It’s really important because every hospital can heal you on the outside, but the doctors and nurses at CHLA really helped me heal from the inside.”

Allen has been associated with CHLA ever since his accident, and has been working with Extra Life LA to help raise funds for the hospital. He finished his associate’s degree at the Musicians Institute and has been coming to the dance marathon for six years.

“I have been part of the USC Dance Marathon and for any events and anything else they need,” Alvarado said. “I am there for them 100 percent.”

Eileen Garrido, another Miracle Child who sang at the event, explained how excited she was to be at the dance marathon.

“This is my seventh year at the dance marathon. I have been coming here since I was a little girl and it’s getting better and better every year,” Garrido said. She explained that CHLA gave her a new life, and she started the Beating Hearts Foundation that helps raise money for the hospital.

In the concluding hours, The Doryan award, which was named after brain cancer victim Doryan Torres Carrillo, was presented to Alpha Phi for raising the most money, and the last hour from 1 to 2 p.m. was the power hour, where dancers hoped to raise $1,000 an hour. In the closing ceremony, it was announced that the total money raised this year was $33,687.97.