Max Moody poses on stage while UGA Miracle members dance at UGA Miracle’s 31st Dance Marathon at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia on Saturday, March 28. Max attended the event with his family and brother, Jude Moody, who also has Down Syndrome. (Photo/ Emily Laycock)
UGA Miracle Dance Marathon is this weekend. Here’s what you need to know
By Emily Laycock
UGA Miracle, UGA’s largest student-led philanthropic organization, will host its 31st annual Dance Marathon at Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday, following a record-breaking fundraising year. The event serves as the organization’s final fundraising push of the year to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Dance Marathon runs 13.5 hours featuring live music, dancing and family impact stories. Organizers will announce this year’s total fundraising at the end of the event.
"It's an event that's open to everyone in the community,” said Grace Tortorella, UGA Miracle’s executive director. “You can decide you want to come on the day of, and we will be more than happy to welcome you into Stegeman and steward you and just be so glad that you are there and make it an event that's worth their time.”
Record-breaking numbers
UGA Miracle reported a record-breaking Greek Week and Presidents Day this year, raising $202,103.59. The week-long fundraising campaign, held February 9-15, included events such as a Super Bowl watch party, line dancing lessons and basketball tournament to celebrate UGA Miracle and the Greek community. The event concluded with a Presidents Day fundraising competition among Greek chapter presidents.
“So on top of having a record breaking Greek week and Presidents Day, we've had record breaking fundraising pushes throughout the year,” Tortorella said. “So we definitely know that people are excited to keep fundraising.”
UGA Miracle also partners with 10 high school programs around the state to put on Mini Dance Marathons in February. The events are student-led fundraising events similar to Dance Marathon including dancing games, themed activities and impact stories. This year’s Mini Dance Marathons raised $91,891.47, an increase of about $12,000 from last year.
Impact beyond Athens
UGA Miracle’s proceeds support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Rehabilitation Services at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Past fundraising helped build a pediatric aquatic therapy pool and supported construction of the Arthur M. Blank Hospital, which opened in 2024.
“The very first time we toured it (Arthur M. Blank Hospital) over the summer, it was a completely life-changing experience, getting to see like … that we had contributed some in making that beautiful building happen, was really awesome, and just knowing that it's there in Atlanta, is definitely part of the reason why I keep going,” said Virginia Miller, UGA Miracle’s finance director.
Dance Marathon features stories from families directly impacted by treatment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Tortorella said these impact stories distinguish the event from typical fundraisers and highlight its impact.
“It's easy to have it lost in translation that we're just fundraising for a children's hospital,” she said. “So the money that we raised has had direct impacts at the hospital and being able to share that with people has been really beneficial.”
What to expect at Dance Marathon
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with an opening ceremony featuring the Redcoat Marching Band, dance performances and remarks from UGA President Jere Morehead. The four themed hours include a gameday, surf & turf, “it’s a marathon not a sprint” and magic hour. Other popular events include the silent disco from 2:15-2:45 p.m and hospital hour from 12:40-1:10 p.m.
The two major fundraising pushes occur after the opening ceremony, and the final effort, called Circle of Hope, takes place shortly before the event ends at midnight.