Saturday, March 8, 2008
DM hits close to home
For Grant Suhs, Dance Marathon's cause is personal. The School of Communication senior worked as an intern for Bear Necessities, the foundation for research and treatment of pediatric cancer that is DM's main beneficiary this year.
He is also a cancer survivor himself.
Suhs said he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor April 1 of his freshman year. Today, Suhs used his personal experience to motivate the dancers of DM.
“You are helping fund research that could one day cure cancer,” Suhs said when he addressed the crowd from the tent.
Suhs said he wanted to let students know how important their philanthropy, and DM, is, and “how important it is for me, a Northwestern student and cancer survivor, to see everything happen.”
Plus, Suhs added, he got a chance to live out his “rock star fantasy.”
Suhs, who is speaking but not dancing at DM, said he was impressed at how much effort went into the event.
“I know a lot went into it, but I’ve never actually seen it in development,” he said.
Phillip Swarts/The Daily Northwestern