Student dance marathon at Montana State benefits Shodair Children’s Hospital

BOZEMAN – An annual dance marathon put on by a Montana State University student club on March 24 raised $9,129 for Shodair Children’s Hospital.

Montanathon Dance Marathon said about 100 students participated in the six-hour event, which included dance lessons, active fundraising, prize giveaways and a speaker from Shodair, according to Rachel Hould, an MSU student and executive director of the club.

“Montanathon Dance Marathon is a student-led organization that was created to raise money for our local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, which is Shodair,” Hould said. “Our mission is to raise as much funds as possible and spread education about Shodair and the work being done there.”

Miracle Network Dance Marathon is a fundraising program of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which raises funds for local member hospitals to provide vital treatments to pediatric patients, according to the organization’s website. Over the years, Montanathon Dance Marathon has raised more than $87,000 for the Helena-based hospital.

Hould said Montanathon Dance Marathon also hosted dodgeball, swing dancing and tie-dye fundraisers during this academic year, and the organization continually collects donations online.