The OCU Miracle Marathon took place on April 17 and surpassed their fundraising goal by $10,000.
The Miracle Marathon is a dance marathon that benefits the Children’s Hospital Foundation. The funds raised will be used to support medical research and care for sick children in the Oklahoma City area.
The event was hosted in the Great hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The event had a fundraising goal of $30,000 and raised a total of $38,261.21. An anonymous donor then brought the fundraising total to $40,000.21. In 2020, the group raised a total of $26,210.20, and the group raised $25,005.19 in 2019.
Katelyn Curtin, executive director of OCU Miracle Marathon, said the fundraising amount reveal is emotional for some people.
“After meeting the kids, participants have more of a real idea of how they are really helping them get the care that they need,” she said.
She said the event featured multiple fundraising activities to benefit the cause.
“Although it sounds like it, the Miracle Marathon has nothing to do with running,” Curtin said. “It is a dance marathon with fun dances, raffles, and other things to raise money for the kids in our community.”
Children from the Oklahoma City Children’s Hospital also came to share the stories of their treatment experiences and participate in activities with students.
Curtin said the kids the organization meets inspire her.
“While this event is a great way to strengthen our OCU community, especially in these trying times, the main reason that we do it is for the kids,” Curtin said. “Listening to their stories and raising money on their behalf can be very emotional for some, who might have watched a loved one go through a similar experience.”
Curtain said a wide variety of organizations were involved in raising money, including campus philanthropy, individual schools and departments.
“Each fraternity, sorority, and school, such as the School of Theatre, School of Music, and so on, is a team,” said Curtin. “Students can put their money into any one of these teams to raise money. We have found that this is a great way to boost engagement.”
This marks OCU’s third year of hosting the Miracle Marathon. Last year’s main event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and campus shutdown.
Curtin said this year’s marathon was adapted to be COVID safe. She said masks were required, guests were limited to the first 60 people who registered per event and social distancing guidelines were followed.
In the past, the event was six hours. On April 17, it was spaced into two two-hour blocks, 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Luke Gilmore, director of communications for OCU Miracle Marathon, said he is passionate about the cause.
“I was born premature at 16 weeks old,” said Gilmore. “Organizations like Children’s Miracle Network helped me get the quality care that I needed to survive and thrive for the rest of my life.”
For more information about OCU Miracle Marathon, readers can follow their Instagram or Facebook pages for event information and future updates.
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