By HOLLY GASKILL
In the hours leading up to the Riley Dance Marathon at Norwell High School, senior Lillian Norris shared a secret.
“We’ve kind of announced our fundraising goal as $20,000, but my personal goal is $25,000,” she grinned.
Norris had no idea she had already met her goal — nor that she would completely blow past it.
As club president, Norris led a club of about 50 students through months, weeks, and endless hours of fundraising for Riley Hospital for Children. They kicked off the fundraiser with a “color run” 5K before the school year started, carried through the year with letter writing and chuck-a-duck events, and concluded with an annual one-of-a-kind party.
Roughly 150 students gathered Friday night for the evening of goofy competitions, testimonials from Riley kids, and, of course, dancing. As the clock neared 11 p.m., Spanish teacher Lori White, also the club’s sponsor, calculated the final total.
The students had raised an astonishing record-high $38,500.65.
“(It) was wildly emotional for both of us,” White said. “We cried and cried and had so much fun. We are just so proud of our group and are in complete shock! I knew it would be higher, but not that much higher.”
The total blew past their record-setting previous year, where they had raised over $20,000. Before then, the school’s highest raised amount in its roughly 10 years of hosting a Riley Dance Marathon was $12,000, White said.
Even so, it’s not about the numbers, the hours, or even the fun memories.
Part of Friday’s festivities involved learning some line dances, part of which included “Church Clap” by KB. The students gave it their own twist by adding the chant “F-T-K,” meaning “for the kids” in the song.
This mantra is at the core of every part of the Riley Dance Marathon Club.
In fact, the students were joined in their dance by Ivy Selking of Ossian, who shared her own Riley story with the students on Friday. She’s just one of many in the area who have benefited from their hospital’s care, said White.
White first became involved with Riley Dance Marathon at her alma mater, Ball State University. She was invited to the event by a friend and left saying, “OK, that’s it — I need to be a part of this.”
“I have Type 1 diabetes, and a lot of people my entire life have donated to the hospital or the Diabetes Foundation or things like that,” White said. “And so, I always like to give back … and Riley is serving so many people and making a difference in so many people’s lives.”
Norris added that she loves how joyful the club and organization are. The events themselves are often marked by color, glitter, and tutus, but most importantly, they’re “for the kids.” Norris saw how deeply the previous club president, Elle Misch, loved serving the community through the organization, and thought, “I want to be part of something like that.”
“It’s so simple,” Norris said, “but it’s so joyful to be helping others like this. Every part of this has been a blessing to both us and to Riley, and we couldn’t have done it without community support.”
Norris and White said the community has had “overwhelming support,” both in financial contributions and donated supplies. They also expressed gratitude for the school administration who have encouraged their efforts, even so far as getting a pie in the face in front of the school.
The best part yet, however, is that the fun isn’t over. While handing over the baton to a new club president, Norris and White are excited to see what the community can do next “for the kids.”
holly@news-banner.com
