Coalition Dance Marathon

Coalition is hosting a dance marathon 4-9 p.m. on Saturday in the auxiliary gym, which will benefit both Pencils for Promise and Project Uplift.

Prior to the actual event, students can pledge to dance a certain number of hours. Tables are be set up at lunch for anyone wants to pledge. The marathon will include music, free food and five hours of continuous dancing.

For the past six years, the marathon has been replaced by other fall events, but was brought back because of its popularity in previous years.

“[The dance marathon] is really random and I think that it allows everyone to come out and have a good time,” club sponsor Mr. Muhammed said.

To be admitted into the dance, students have the option of bringing either money or canned goods. The money collected will be donated to Pennies for Promise, a charity that educates third-world countries. The canned goods will be sent to Project Uplift, an organization that delivers food and other supplies to more densely populated areas of poverty and homelessness around Kansas City. Muhammad and several other students recently visited Uplift and were inspired by their work.

“They were really short on canned goods, and I thought, ‘man this would be a perfect opportunity’,” Mu said. “Everyone says every year that we should do something local, because we always to global stuff. So I was just thinking this could be awesome.”

Snacks for the dance will be provided by Coalition members, and music will be playing from a playlist the Coalition student board is putting together. Coalition is encouraging participation by inviting students from other schools to come.

“I’ll dance for an hour, if I can even last that long,” sophomore Audrey Kesler said. “I just want to go to support the cause.”

There is no set monetary goal for the event, but Muhammed hopes to fill at least half of the gym floor with canned goods for Uplift.
“I’m excited because I wasn’t at East when they did it last,” said board member Isabelle Cunningham. “So I’m excited to see what it’s like, because of lot of people said it was a lot of fun.”