Students dance to raise money for cystic fibrosis

Booming techno music shook the Cost Center as dancers in neon garb transformed the astroturf field into a temporary dance floor to promote awareness and raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The Pitt Dance Marathon, hosted annually by Greek life, is part of Greek Week — a fundraising programming body that sponsors a week of charity events.

Non-Greek groups, including the Pitt Pathfinders, Project Sunshine, CHAARG and Brazil Nuts, among others, joined fraternities and sororities to raise money as part of a 3 1/2-year pledge signed to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to raise about $300,000 in that time span. 

According to the foundation’s website, cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that currently affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. 

Over a 24-hour period this weekend, from 12 p.m. Saturday until 12 p.m. Sunday, 385 student dancers bobbed and moved through the Cost Center for the sake of the cause.

According to head organizer Eric Weston, a junior affiliated with the Delta Chi fraternity, the Pitt Dance Marathon started in 2005 and has grown every year.

“I think that, traditionally, PDM has been seen as an all-Greek event. But I think every year we’re moving away from that,” Weston said. “And that’s something I’m really excited about because it’s something [for which] the whole Greek community and Pitt community can come together as one.”

PDM President Victoria Julian, a senior majoring in biological science and chemistry, said the dance marathon raised $81,654.54 for the Cystic Fibrosis foundation this year, almost $20,000 more than last year’s number of $61,872.

Julian said PDM dancers participate for all 24 hours, but moralers, students who attend to support the dancers from their respective organizations, dance for one eight-hour shift. 

Dancers paid $150 and moralers paid $125 to participate, and the proceeds went to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Student body members not participating in the marathon could attend the event and pay a suggested donation of $5 at the door. 

Organizer Erin Worbs, a senior affiliated with Tri Delta, discussed the continued improvement of the Pitt Dance Marathon. 

She said PDM’s goal for each year is to improve upon the previous year’s successes. 

Worbs said participants in 2012’s PDM raised $30,000 and doubled the total the next year with about $61,872. She said this year’s goal was about $70,000. 

According to Julian, PDM is divided into different hours of music genres and live entertainment by Pitt groups such as the Hip Hop Club, Ballet Club and Pitt cheerleaders. Julian said the most popular hours were between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. when techno music played. 

Music genres featured throughout the marathon also included songs from Disney movies, jazz, country and hits from the early 2000s. 

This year, PDM introduced a new event, an “a cappella off,” where two a cappella groups on campus have a singing competition. 

During techno hours from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m Sunday, the crowd swelled and the dancers moved energetically to the music, despite having spent twelve hours on the floor. 

Sophomores Julie Bockman and Mackenzie Baker who are affiliated with the Theta Phi Alpha sorority both found that after dancing for twelve hours, it was problematic to mark the time.

“It’s like if you don’t look at your clock, then it’s easier to pass the time,” Bockman said.

Baker agreed and said she had to put her phone away because she kept looking at it to check the time. 

Dan Kelley, a freshman pledge at Kappa Sigma, did not dance in the event, but attended because he had a personal connection to the cause.

“My good friend’s little sister has CF. [Cystic fibrosis] affects a lot of young people, and the death rate is high,” Kelley said. “We need to help them live longer, since it doesn’t get as much support as cancer.”