Northwestern University’s Dance Marathon raises more than $430,000 for Little Heroes League and the Evanston Community Foundation

A weekend of dancing paid off in big ways for nearly 800 students who participated in the 49th annual Northwestern Dance Marathon (NUDM.) Little Heroes League and Evanston Community Foundation will share more than $434,000 raised through the annual event.

The philanthropic dance party kicked off at 7 p.m. on March 3 with a parade of students dancing into a huge white tent erected on the East Lawn of Norris University Center. The thumping of music and dancing continued non-stop for 30 hours, until 1 a.m. on March 5.

Dance Marathon is the culmination of a year-long fundraising effort. A giant check at the end of the dance event revealed a fundraising total of $434,455, but organizers say they are still counting donations and accepting new contributions.

Little Heroes League is a Chicago area non-profit that helps children with medical complexities and their families receive care after leaving the hospital. Organization leaders say the NUDM grant will help fund additional care coordinators and extend resources to serve dozens of new families each year.

The secondary beneficiary, Evanston Community Foundation (ECF,) invests in the community through grant making, leadership development and capacity building. This is the 26th year ECF has been a benefiting partner of NUDM.

NUDM is one of the largest independent student-run philanthropies. Since 1975, more than three-dozen charities have shared more than $23 million dollars. The benefactor for the 50th annual Dance Marathon will be announced later this spring.