Months of fundraising and 12 hours of dancing ended Saturday, March 24, with a big reveal that shocked all of the students dancing “for the kids” as part of Wartburg College Dance Marathon.

The 322 registered dancers raised $115,196.10, smashing the student-led organization’s $90,000 goal and more than doubling the amount raised just two years ago and increasing last year’s total by more than $33,000.

All money collected is donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which is affiliated with the Children’s Miracle Network. In the last 10 years, Wartburg students have raised more than $455,145 for the hospital. In 2016 and 2017, the students donated $12,500 from the total raised to fund a fifth-floor preparation and recovery room inside the new hospital. WCDM is the largest philanthropic student organization at Wartburg College.

“These Wartburg students and 19 alumni actively fundraised throughout the year and sacrificed their time to raise money for the kids through events facilitated by WCDM, like Cans for a Cause, or working for Dining Services at Wartburg,” said Nick Arp, a junior and Dance Marathon co-executive director. “These students utilized the power of social media for philanthropic support via their friends and families. WCDM encourages students to share their ‘why’ on social media to describe their reasoning to be involved in such an influential student organization. Many students have personal accounts with the hospital, including immediate family members or close friends being treated there.”

Other notable fundraising highlights include:

Twenty-seven students who raised more than $1,000.

One student who raised more than $5,000.

A 15-person executive team that raised more than $27,000.

Fifteen teams that raised between $2,000 and $17,000 each.

Two successful “push days” that raised $21,706 and $28,014, respectively.

Each dancer is required to raise $120 to participate in the day, which includes games, food, singing and dancing without consuming caffeine. Each hour of the event begins with a “miracle family” sharing how they have been impacted by the services at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

“Their stories include powerful anecdotes of miracles, success stories and remembrances for the children who lost their battle with an illness or from an injury,” Arp said.

Several WCDM leaders also helped facilitate mini Dance Marathons at Clarksville and New Hampton high schools.

“Hundreds of high school students collectively raised more than $2,000 and learned about Dance Marathon and the cause the program supports,” Arp said.