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.

Libby Nelson/The Daily Northwestern

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

Food committee thanked for effort

Weinberg senior Lindsey Barst, co-chairwoman of Dance Marathon's food committee, rushes on stage with her committee members when emcees TnA thank them for their work.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Dancers groove to "Soulja Boy"

When "Soulja Boy" plays, Jamarielle Marks, 9, 

a Bear Necessities beneficiary hops on stage 

to join the famous TnA in their routine.

Weinberg senior Julian Hill also 

joins TnA in their dance routine.

The women of Delta Delta Delta link hands, 

forming a bridge for Jamarielle Marks to dance under.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Vortex of Light

Dancers participate in the ninth block of Dance Marathon.

Photo/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

TnA's last stand

Welton and Johnson compare thumb sizes during their break from emceeing. A reporter was surprised at the size of the QWERTY keypad on Welton's phone, and asked Welton how he could type on the small keys.

As the last dance approaches in DM 2008, Todd Johnson and Adam Welton have started to feel a tinge of sadness in addition to the extreme exhaustion.

"It's getting to the point where it's getting sad since it's the last year for us," Welton said, grabbing a small window of time during the block to rest.

Their love for the philanthropy has largely defined their Northwestern careers, they said.

"I love this experience," Johnson said. "My voice is shot, but I don't care about that. I just want to do the best for our dancers. I want to give it my all."

Doing just that has been difficult at times for the two seniors, who have emceed the event since their freshmen year.

"We have to have a tad bit more energy than other people," Welton said. "People are tired, but I have to act like I'm not. Sometimes I feel sleepy but that's not an option."

They have seen Dance Marathon change and grow each year since they stepped foot on campus. One of the biggest changes they saw throughout their tenure is Club DM, the heated tent created to accommodate the influx of new dancers.

"DM's getting bigger," Welton said. "We outgrew the Louis Room."

The duo can envision the continued expansion of DM from an on-campus venue to an off-campus one to account for record-breaking number of participants.

"Nothing can stop DM," Johnson said. "It can only get bigger, and the quality better. Students raise the bar and standards each year."

While the emcees have energized hundreds of dancers each year, Welton and Johnson modestly say they are only a small part of the massive philanthropy that is Dance Marathon.

"We're like a fingernail on the body," Welton said. "The heart is the dancers."

The two said they will miss Dance Marathon next year, but their hearts will always belong to the organization and its cause.

"We're not staying," Welton said, "but we're not leaving."

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Bear Necessities beneficiary shows off her moves

At Club DM, nine-year-old Jamarielle Marks shows off a couple of her dance moves – "the pop fist" and "the wigout."

"I like dancing a lot," she said. "I wanted to have fun. I think it's nice for these people to dance for me."

Marks who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be a beneficiary of Bear Necessities' small miracle program.  Though she hasn't decided what she wants, she thinks she wants to go in a limo with her friends, have some snacks, go to ESPN Zone, play games, eat and have a sleepover.

Marks is at Northwestern with her parents.

Amid tears, her mom said "Just the fact they're (the dancers) out here dancing for her, it's incredible," her mom said.

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Bear's sister encourages dancers to continue

At Club DM, Courtney Krupa urged the dancers to continue on with their efforts, telling them about how her brother battled cancer.

"I was there when my mom told me that Bear had cancer, but his courage helped me through the years. His smiles soaked up my tears. He humor soaked the nurses. Seriously, Bear soaked the nurses with a super soaker. Sometimes I was jealous of the attention and gifts he received and guilty for feeling that way. But one day Bear said to my mom, 'Can we get something for my Courtney?'  

Dancers from the Louis Room watch and listen to Courtney Krupa on a screen, broadcasted from Club DM, talk about her relationship with her brother.

"Throughout the years that Bear battled cancer, my mom stayed by his side. I would come around to the hospital as often as I could, but my family continued to be apart. Loneliness became a part of my life. I spent nights at neighbors' and grandparents' house. I came home to an empty home. My friends certainly couldn't understand at such a young age, so I learned how to take care of myself. Then Bear would come home, and I'd learn how to take care of him too. 

"I became responsible and mature beyond my years. There were times Bear was so sick that he couldn't move from one side to another or even talk, but he kept fighting. He's one of the strongest people I have ever known, and his strength has pushed me to keep on living life to the fullest. 

"When Bear made it known he wanted to do something to help others, my mom made it happen, and I couldn't have been more proud. Something I cherish everyday is that I was given the chance to have a sibling. I often tell people how lucky they are to have healthy brothers and sisters. I didn't only lose my brother, but one of my best friends. I urge you to keep fighting until the end because I'm sure Bear is smiling. 

"Thank you for making his dream a reality this weekend."

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Photo/Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

A DM birthday (part 2)

Spring Quarter Campus editor Emily Glazer is dancing all the way through her 20th birthday. Here's what she had to say about the experience so far:

Well we just finished hour 24. I am really, really tired, but I'm kind of numb right now. So I'm just going with it. We're all excited. I'm ready to be done.

Emily Glazer/The Daily Northwestern

New total - 6 hours left to go

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

View from the Catwalk

A view from the catwalk of the Louis Room during Dance Marathon 2008.

Photo/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

Spa Time

Seamus Egan, technology services manager of Norris University Center, receives a massage at the DM Spa Saturday afternoon.

Photo/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

Band encourages dancers to continue

Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

Hillside Manner, winner of Dance Marathon's Battle of the Bands, energized the audience with its set.

"We knew that the dancers were going to be at their worst, most tired stage of the 30 hours," McCormick senior Andrew Edelson said, bass player of Hillside Manner. "We wanted to play some upbeat songs to pick them up."

Immediately after the set, fellow bass player Storm Liebling, Weinberg senior went back to dancing.

"I'm ready to dance for another 30 hours," the third-year dancer said.

Liebling said the band fed off the energy of the audience of dancers while also energizing the dancers.

Lead singer Nathan Tenenbaum, Weinberg '07, said the band has many connections to Dance Marathon.

"We all wanted to be part of it," Tenenbaum said. "I was on the exec board last year and our drummer's (Weinberg senior David Hymen) on the exec board this year, and we've all fundraised a lot for it.  We all want to be involved in any way we can. We all love to play music, so that was kind of a perfect marriage."

The band has been in existence for the past three or four years, with a couple of faces changing over the years.

"We kind of just got together to play these fun gigs, at Battles of the Band of Dance Marathon," Tenenbaum said. "We don't take ourselves too seriously."

Edelson interrupted his comment saying, "We could theoretically take ourselves seriously. There's nothing wrong with taking ourselves seriously."

"Except we're a bunch of goofballs. We probably can't take ourselves seriously," Tenenbaum said.

Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

The only non-Northwestern student or alumnus in the band is Nathan Beck – playing "random different instruments," such as piano and harmonica – who said he enjoyed helping Dance Marathon.

"You can never have too many Nathans in the band," Tenenbaum said. "We have twins in the band (Weinberg seniors Storm and Dustin Liebling). We thought it'd be best to have two guys with the same name in the band."

Members of the band offered some words of encouragement for the dancers who have less than eight hours left until the end of the marathon.

Beck: "You're more than half way done."

Edelson: "Keep on trucking."

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Sights of DM

NU's Graffiti Dancers warm up for their performance - Weinberg freshman Esther Divovich practices her moves.



DM Battle of the Bands winner Hillside Manor performs in the Louis Room.




The Hillside Manner guitarist Nathan Beck, Indiana University '07, rocks out on stage.



DM dancers cheer for Hillside Manner during the band's set.



Hillside Manner lead singer Nathan Tenenbaum, Weinberg '07, wows the DM crowd.



Alumni & University Relations co-chair Brittany Ladd, a Weinberg senior, takes a break from the relentless DM production schedule.

Matt Spector/The Daily Northwestern

120 Club

There is no correct time to join Dance Marathon. People join as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and even as seniors. But there is great respect for those members of the exclusive 120 Club--that is, seniors who have danced all four years for DM since they were freshmen. The Daily talked with one of these devoted dancers, Medill senior Danny Ecker, about his time dancing, crying and loving every moment of it.

The Daily: So how are you feeling right now?

Danny Ecker: Incredible, there are no words to describe how I feel right now. It's gotten better ever year for the past four years, and it's definitely the most fulfilling thing I've ever done.

TD: How did you get involved with DM to begin with?

DE: I danced for ZBT my freshman year. There was not much interest among the guys in the frat, but I was dying to get in and so I gave it a whirl. And at the end of the first DM, I was in tears.

TD: How do you feel about DM this year?

DE: This year is a mix, since there are two different places. Usually there are around 500 dancers, but for whatever reason this year DM recruited 750 this year, and so we have to spend three blocks out in the tent. But overall, this year is so much better. We're going to break a record, raising I think around $900,000. To be able to say you're a part of it is just amazing.

TD: Are you sad that this is your last year?

DE: It's bittersweet, I've been loving this, and since I am a senior I know so many people and can show them all about how DM works. It's a ton of fun, and when it DM comes around next year I'm definitely going to miss it.

Tiffany Wong/Daily Northwestern

Battle of bands winner performs for dancers

Hillside Manner, winner of Dance Marathon's Battle of the Bands, performs familiar songs on the Norris University Center's Louis Room stage, such as Counting Crow's "Accidentally in Love" and Augustana's "Boston," to pump up the dancers.

"I think it's awesome," Weinberg sophomore Fallon Pyles said with an ear plug in her left ear. "If it were any softer, people would fall asleep."

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Photo/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern

Making posters to support the dancers

Even though nine-year-old Julia Danson doesn't personally know any of the dancers, she's making a poster encouraging the dancers to continue.

Julia's mom, Deb Danson, is on the Evanston Community Foundation Board, one of the beneficiaries of Dance Marathon.

"It's awesome," she said. "It's an amazing event, an amazing thing people are doing."

Text/Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Photo/Paul Takahashi/The Daily Northwestern

20 hours down

10 more to go!

Alice Truong/The Daily Northwestern

Parents supporting DM

Now at its twentieth hour, dancers are still going strong with their parents cheering them on from the sidelines.

Parents have been filing in and out since last night, bringing in support from all over the country.

Weinberg senior Gabe Rich's parents (pictured) came all the way from Atlanta, Ga. to see him partake in the event.

"It makes every check through these four years worth every penny," said Rich's father. "Everybody seems to be having a great time."

Kathy Nutt, who came to cheer on her niece, Weinberg sophomore Alex Gast, brought along her children and her parents. In addition to watching on from the visitors' section, they are looking forward to making posters for Gast at the station outside the Louis room.

"We're loving it," Nutt said, "I would have done it for sure if I was in college."

Tiffany Wong/The Daily Northwestern

Madison Visits Club DM

Madison Booker, 3, with her mother (front) outside of the Louis Room in Norris

After dancing on stage in the Norris Louis Room, 3-year-old Madison Booker made her way over to Club DM and danced again.

Photos/Lauren Pond/The Daily Northwestern