The Final Hours

Brittany Ladd and other members of DM shout encouragement to dancers as they proceed to Club DM, where they completed their final block of dancing.

Dancers groove to the music in Club DM.

Members of DM gather on stage in Club DM during the final block of Dance Marathon 2008.

A dancer surfs the crowd inside Club DM during the final block of Dance Marathon 2008.

Dancers pass around a box of treats during the final block of Dance Marathon 2008.

Emcee Todd Johnson and others danced on stage while participants in DM continued to groove below during the final block of Dance Marathon 2008.

Kathleen Casey, founder of Bear Necessities, accepts a check for more than $590,000 at the end of Dance Marathon 2008.

Photos/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

Final total: $933,855

DM raised $933,855 this year, breaking the fundraising record for the second year in a row and helped along by a record number of dancers.

Zeta Beta Tau and Delta Gamma raised the most of any group, with slightly more than $120,000. It was the first time any collaboration had broken into six digits for fundraising, DM execs said.

Before presenting checks, DM execs said both girls who collapsed near the end of the marathon were "fine."

DM execs announced the number shortly after 1 a.m. as the marathon began concluding early Sunday morning. Dancers were allowed to leave, but the marathon will not officially end until checks have been presented.

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Sights from the last block

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

The last block begins with intense energy as hit song after hit song pumps all the dancers up.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Medill senior Todd Johnson hugs Communication senior Adam Welton after a video of the two saying their goodbyes was played. This was their last year emceeing Dance Marathon.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Jerry Springer addresses the dancers in a video, encouraging them to keep on dancing until the end.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Todd Johnson energizes the crowd of dancers.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Even after nearly 30 hours of dancing, many DM participants are bursting with energy.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Trophies for the dancers who raised the most money for DM were lined up on the side of the stage.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Weinberg senior Julian Hill holds two trophies before DM officials announce the couples and organizations that raised the most money.

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Jessica Sher and Dean Henley, the DM finance committee co-chairmen, announce fundraiser totals.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Gamma Phi Beta and Beta Theta Phi won third place in the top tier of the large group fundraising competition.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Members of Zeta Beta Tau and Delta Gamma raise their trophy high into the air. The two organizations raised $120,002.78, winning the fundraising competition for the large group tier.

Student taken away by paramedics

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Paramedics and police came to Norris University Center early Sunday morning because two girls had collapsed. One was transported to the hospital.

One left in a stretcher and the other walked out of Club DM, the tent on the Norris lawn currently holding all 750 dancers.

At about 12:15 a.m., the music and lights stopped and the crowd was asked to step aside.

The dancers formed a large circle to give the two space. Some dancers left DM Club to go to the lounge inside Norris.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Center for Student Involvement Director Helen Wood asked the members of the DM food committee to bring water, and shortly after cases of Fiji water were brought into the room to be distributed to all the dancers. Bottles water were also brought up from the rear of the room. The dancers made way for stretchers to get by.

"It's shocking" Music freshman Loren Brindze said while leaving the venue. "You kind of expect it given the extremity of the circumstances – the physical condition everyone's undergoing, but at the same time to see it manifest like that – it's shocking."

All media personnel and visitors were asked to leave DM Club when the marathon, with music and lights, resumed at 12:40 a.m.

Brindze said the committee executives tried to make the environment upbeat when the music turned back on.

"The event was very positive," he said. "We picked up where we left off."

Both the University Police Department and the Evanston Police Department said they were unavailable for comment until Monday morning.

Alice Truong and Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

More than $460,000 raised so far

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Energy returns to dancers for last block

The energy at Club DM room has significantly increased now that all the dancers are housed under one roof.  Any energy lost throughout the way has found its way back to these 750 dancers.  All of them have been moved to the tent on the Norris lawn where they are singing along to upbeat songs such as Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" and Britney Spears' "Toxic."

"It is incredible," said Communication sophomore Rucha Melita, member of public and communication relations committee. "I feel like I'm at a big party."

So far, TnA have thanked six particular dancers who have decided to spend their birthdays dancing for Bear Necessities, including The Daily's Emily Glazer (see related posts "A DM birthday").

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern