1. WHO: The Florida State University College of Medicine's pediatric outreach programs and the Children's Miracle Network (at Shands Children's Hospital), a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals.
WHAT: Dance Marathon at FSU. Over 1,000 student volunteers will bust a move for 40 hours, divided into two 20-hour shifts. The Dance Marathon at FSU is the university's largest student-run philanthropy, and it has raised over $2 million in fourteen years.
WHEN: Friday, February 12, 2010 @ 7:30 PM (SHIFT 1) and Saturday, February 13, 2010 @ 7 PM (SHIFT 2)
WHERE: Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Registration is ongoing, so don’t waste another minute! 100% of the proceeds directly benefit the children of Tallahassee and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://dm.fsu.edu.
2. WHO: Strive, a nonprofit organization that supports over hundreds of teens and young adults with developmental disabilities by providing social, recreational, employment training, and educational programs.
WHAT: STRIVE Rocks! Dance Marathon. A 14-hour dance-off where volunteering individuals, or teams with up to six members, will dance the night away to raise funds for a very worthy cause. Over 600 dancers will join in on the fun.
WHEN: Saturday, March 6, 2010 @ 8 PM to Sunday, March 7, 2010 @ 10 AM
WHERE: USM Sullivan Gym, Portland, Maine
Early registration fees before February 12th! All money raised from the dance marathon goes directly towards STRIVE programs. See how you can help at www.striverocks.org.
3. WHO: City of Hope Hospital provides groundbreaking research and compassionate care for cancer patients. It strives to deliver the newest, most promising therapies to patients while also encouraging open communication between physicians, caregivers, and clinical researchers.
WHAT: Lindy Hop for Hope. A 24-hour swing dance to raise money to help fund cancer research and treatment at City of Hope Hospital. Come join board members, bands, teachers, DJs, and performers who are donating their time—and their dance moves—to help make this night a success!
WHEN: Saturday, March 13, 2010 @ 12 PM to Sunday, March 14, 2010 @ 12 PM
WHERE: 24 Hour Fitness Ultra Sport, Irvine, California
Go to www.danceathon.org and register now! You can even make a personal page on the site to get more people involved, talk with team members, and keep track of your donations.
4. WHO: Cystic Fibrosis Trust works to improve the lives of people living with CF by raising the disease’s profile and funding research to find a cure. Cystic fibrosis is one of the UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases.
WHAT: Dance-a-Thon Horndean 2010. Volunteers will perform as many solo, duet, or group dances that they can to help people who are fighting cystic fibrosis.
WHEN: Friday, April 9, 2010 to Sunday, April 11, 2010
WHERE: Hampshire, England
Register now—dancers needed! Go to www.dance-a-thon.org.uk for more info on how to volunteer.
5. WHO: Feed the Children, an international nonprofit relief organization that delivers food, medicine, clothing, and other necessities to individuals, children, and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty, and/or natural disasters.
WHAT: NY Dances for Charity. Still in the early planning stages, this dance-a-thon is set to go all day and well into the night. Volunteers of all kinds will be needed, so get going already!
WHEN: Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 9 AM - 9 PM
WHERE: Deer Park Community Center, Deer Park, NY
This event is currently looking for volunteers, DJs, vendors, sponsors, dance teams, and prize/raffle donations! Contact Diana at (516) 356-0232 or (631) 514-7444 for details.
Now doesn’t that sound fun? Who knew that dancing could make such a difference! These days, there are so many ways to help make the world a better place—it’s just a matter of getting the information on how to, where to, and when to translate those good intentions of yours into action.
Do you have an event you would like VM to feature? Is there something you love to do and want to find out more ways to make a difference in the world by doing it? Or perhaps, is there something you would like to challenge us to find out ways that anyone could possibly do it while simultaneously making an impact and inspiring others? Then let us know at comments@vigilantmonkey.com.
Originally from Woodhaven, Queens, Lauren Casamassa now lives on the eastern end of Long Island. Her passion for writing comes from a spirited attitude to tactfully tell it like it is. Lauren eventually hopes to break into the world of book publishing as a publicist where she can put her people skills to good use.