Dance marathon raises thousands for children’s hospital

Coastal Carolina University’s first ever ChantaTHON, held Nov. 9 through 10, raised $8,818.21 for charity. The 17-hour event required participants to dance for donation pledges. Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was the top group earner, contributing $1,300 to the total collection. Jenna Curcuma, a freshman from Oakland, N.J., was the top individual earner with $780.

Kristina Nash, a senior business management major and director of ChantaTHON, saw the event as “life changing” in the sense that something as arduous and simple like “standing for 17-hours to raise money and awarness” could provide hope for the less fortunate. 

Nash is excited about the direction the organization is taking. She sees it as “a growing event” that will be “bigger and better next year.”

ChantaTHON benefits the McLeod Children’s Hospital of Florence and the Children’s Miracle Network. McLeod treats thousands of Grand Strand children with life-threatening illnesses each year. Two miracle families whose children will benefit from the money raised during the event attended. Miracle families are parents of a child who is receiving treatment at McLeod’s Children’s Hospital in Florence. A pledge sponsors a family, with the money they earned going to family. 

Registration for the 2013 ChantaTHON steering committee is currently open.

For more information, email Kristina Nash, ChantaTHON director, at ktnash@coastal.edu.