Caroline Muniz ‘23 
Features Editor

On Friday December 3rd, Holy Cross held its annual Dance Marathon. It is an event in which students dance all night long to “take a stand” against pediatric AIDS. All the proceeds are donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation. By taking a stand, dancers stood for children and families living with HIV/AIDS and they joined the fight for an AIDS-free generation. The Holy Cross fundraiser was able to raise $4,000, and $3,658 of that consisted of donations that were fundraised by dancers.  

Co-chair Colleen Shortell ‘23 said, “I participated as a dancer during my first year and my heart was filled seeing an outpouring of support, love, and solidarity among the HC community. It was a tradition worth carrying on for an organization that does such good work against pediatric HIV/AIDS. And, it’s so much fun!”  

The event began and students were welcomed into a winter wonderland. Students were given a warm welcome outside of Hogan Ballroom and a festive shirt. There were many different Christmas themed balloons and decorations hung across the different parts of the ballroom. There were bright, colorful lights that could be seen even on the Hoval. Students who stayed until midnight were able to enter their name in a raffle to win different prizes that were generously donated for this event. 

Co-chair Emily Primavera ‘23 said, “despite all of the challenges the pandemic still presented in having our event this year, at the end of the night being able to lay on the Ballroom floor with the rest of the E-Board made all of the stress worth it knowing we were able to raise money for a cause that means so much to me.” 

The E-board worked very hard to keep students energized by performing a choreographed dance that students were able to follow and learn to Kelly Clarkson’s song, “Underneath the Tree.” There were also games to play, such as Connect Four, to give themselves a brief break from dancing. Every once in a while everyone would participate in a dancing game such as freeze dance as well. Food was also provided at midnight for those who were able to stay.  

Not only was there a DJ, but there were also live performances from the many different musical groups such as the Delilahs, Fools on the Hill and the XRa’s. The Holy Cross Dance Ensemble was also able to perform for everyone at the event. 

Participants were able to push themselves for a great cause and danced the night away for almost seven hours. Next year, they plan to go for even longer and raise even more! 

For more information on the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation, follow this link: https://join.pedaids.org/

If you are interested in participating in the event next year or want to learn more about it, contact Co-chairs Emily Primavera (ejprim23@g.holycross.edu) or Colleen Shortell (cgshor23@g.holycross.edu)!