By LYNDSAY MACH, NEWS3 Reporter
MACOMB, Illinois (NEWS3) – RockyTHON, an annual event put on by Western Illinois University to support the Children’s Miracle Network, is set to be held at the end of March in a hybrid form. RockyTHON, previously known as Dance Marathon, is a year-long fundraiser that culminates in a main event which is set to take place on March 27.
“We will be live streaming our event from the grand ballroom through our YouTube channel as well as on social media,” RockyTHON president Justin Brown said.
The event is typically 12 hours long to simulate a nurse’s shift, but this year it will be just six hours, starting at noon and ending at 6 p.m. Event planners are trying to keep some of the experience intact by continuing with their live auction and 50/50 raffle online and providing activities for the participants.
“Throughout the day, we will have a bunch of fundraising opportunities, as well as programming, still having our miracle children and miracle families participate, as well as providing educational and interactive activities for you to do at home,” Brown said.
The money from the Western Illinois University RockyTHON goes to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. RockyTHON works with kids that have received help from the Children’s Miracle Network to help share their story and the importance of donating.
“Usually during the year we interact with our kids on a regular basis, they usually attend all our events like the pancake dinner and spaghetti dinner and any other events they are available to come to,” said Alyssa Sierra, RockyTHON Director of Corporate Sponsorship.
However, this year they were unable to host the kids at the events due to the risks of COVID-19.
During the past eight years, Western Illinois has raised more than $650,000 through RockyTHON. If you are interested in supporting the cause, there is still time to register and to donate. Registration ends at noon on March 27, and donations will be accepted until the end of the event. For more information, go online to https://events.dancemarathon.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.event&eventID=3985.
