Our very own Spring Valley HOSA chapter hosted its first Mini Dance Marathon this October. This Mini Dance Marathon was partnered with the University of South Carolina Dance Marathon to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network, with all proceeds going directly to the local Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. We started this program as a school-wide event to raise funds and awareness for the Child Life Specialist program.
Since last March, our HOSA chapter and Executive Board members worked to plan our main event, plan percent nights at local restaurants, secure sponsorships, and spread awareness, all For The Kids at our Children’s Hospital. We spent the first few months of this with our HOSA chapter raising awareness for the Child Life program. We took this opportunity to not only raise money for the children, but to also teach our HOSA members about the multitude of opportunities for healthcare professionals in the Children’s Hospital. From having a child life specialist speak to our HOSA chapter, to going to the Children’s Hospital for a “dance marathon retreat,” our members were able to engage with our Mini Dance Marathon and all that it stands for.
On October 22nd, 2016, we hosted our main event, with over 260 heroes, at Spring Valley High School. Our event included food vendors, Zumba, guest dance performances, lip sync battles, line dancing, and of course “Miracle Families,” those families that have been impacted by the Children’s Miracle Network. At 8:50 PM, surrounded by the heroes that made our entire event possible, we flipped $7,626 all For The Kids at our local Children’s Hospital!! We are extremely humbled to have had the opportunity to start this program and we are beyond amazed at the funds and awareness that our heroes has raised this year. We can not wait for our Mini Dance Marathon to grow in years to come!
We would like to extend a special thank you to the HOSA chapter at Ridge View High School for supporting our Mini Dance Marathon and being one of our biggest supporters. We would also like to thank our partner organizations, JROTC, the National Honors Society, the Science National Honors Society, the National Technical Honors Society, Spring Valley Student Council, Beta Club, Latin Club, Girls Cross Country, and Boys Cross Country. We would also like to thank our advisors, Mrs. Lorie McDuffie, Ms. Layne Bee, and Mrs. Mary Morgan for their guidance and unwavering support.