AMA Buckeyethon Dance Marathon 2019
by Logan Purdy
Sarah Andrews, Logan Purdy & Mariah Witzberger
Buckeyethon was one of the most rewarding, humbling experiences I have ever been a part of. Going into it, I hadn’t realized just how amazing it was going to feel to participate and also how many lives it was impacting.
The night started out with a story about a little boy who fought long and hard battling cancer. Although he lost his fight and passed away, he was personally affected by BuckeyeThon, and his family was there in memory of him. There were so many other families just like this one and seeing and hearing what they had to say was truly incredible. Once the families spoke and got excited for the night ahead, we all stood up and awaited the children and families we would all be supporting that night.
They all came in running, cheering, laughing and high-fiving as they went by. It was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced because for once in their lives they didn’t have to worry about cancer or hospitals or chemo. They got to be a kid for the night.
The rest of the night was one experience after another. Whether it was making tutus, face painting, silent disco, making cards for the kids or walking around and taking it all in, it was a night full of fun activities, experiences and lots and lots of dancing.
Toward the end of the night we had a RAVE and danced for an hour to get pumped up and stay awake for the next couple of hours. They filled us full of food, Insomnia Cookies, and lots and lots of coffee. As we neared the end of the night, we all gathered in the ballroom, and finally after standing for about 12 hours, we all got to sit.
“This experience is something I will never forget and hold dear to my heart. It was unbelievable and unlike anything I have ever done. ”
It was a very powerful moment; the whole room grew quiet when we realized what we had accomplished. Everyone was clapping and cheering because the whole room felt proud for the long night we had just endured. That night could not even begin to compare to the long nights and days these children have to endure every single day, but this event was significant and it made everyone reflect on their own lives for a second.
The night ended with a sweet girl named Avalon speaking to the crowd. She was amazing, funny, confident, AND she was beating cancer! One of the most incredible things I could ever imagine and she was right there in front of all of us telling us about herself: her life long journey, her family, her long nights at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the effect BuckeyeThon has had on her life.
This experience is something I will never forget and hold dear to my heart. It was unbelievable and unlike anything I have ever done.
Standing for 12 hours – wow, that is something. It was so symbolic because we were standing “for those who couldn’t” and is also something we can so commonly take for granted. After participating in something like this and being on my feet from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., I can truly say I will second guess taking it for granted from now on.
We raised $1,704,184.19 for the kids!! That is wonderful. Overall, putting into words just how incredible this experience was is difficult to do. I would highly recommend you participate in BuckeyeThon if given the chance, I am extremely grateful to be able to participate in such an incredible fundraiser. I am thankful for American Marketing Association for being the platform in which I could participate and for Ohio State for hosting such an incredible experience.