Ninth annual OttoTHON features ‘Miracle Kids,’ personal messages and ball pits for community
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Many Syracuse University students danced all day Sunday. But this dancing wasn’t for the typical party — it was for the children of Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
“For me, OttoTHON has been such a great time in the way we can build a sense of community between the children of the hospital and the students here at Syracuse,” said Dan Zapata, an SU senior and member of the OttoTHON committee.
OttoTHON is SU’s largest student-run philanthropy event, which provides financial support for the children and families who receive care at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. The twelve-hour dance marathon on Sunday marked OttoTHON’s ninth annual fundraiser event. All of the proceeds from OttoTHON go to the hospital.
Along with dancing, OttoTHON’s fundraiser event featured an array of activities for SU students and children of the community alike such as miniature ball-pits and a competitive water pong tournament.
Over the course of OttoTHON’s twelve-hour duration, several of the hospital’s nominated Miracle Kids got to shine in the spotlight on and off the stage, sharing their stories with SU’s participating students and faculty.
One of the Miracle Kids who took the stage was Lexi Glenny, who has an immune disease. She shared some of her experiences living much of her life in a hospital with the OttoTHON participants.
“I can’t tell you how many holidays I’ve had to spend in the hospital, but I’ve also been lucky to be treated so well by everybody there,” Glenny said.
Other participants and families were given the chance to express their meaning behind OttoTHON on a decorated display just outside Goldstein Auditorium in Schine Student Center. Participants wrote down their “why” for OttoTHON, expressing their personal connection to the dance marathon with colorful markers and papers.
This isn’t the first dance marathon for senior Andrea Seroczynski — she participated in a similar event after losing a close friend to cancer in middle school. Now, feeling a special connection to dance marathons, Seroczynski works on the partnerships team for OttoTHON.
Other students working the event spoke to the idea of building community in the local Syracuse area, not only in regards to the children’s hospital, but extending that to local businesses nearby. Some of the sponsors included Chipotle, Purple Banana, Dunkin’ Donuts, Lucy Blu, Insomnia Cookies, Original Grain and XO Taco.
“We enjoyed working with sponsors closely… it was really nice to develop that relationship for OttoTHON and the community’s sake,” Seroczynski said.
The dance marathon featured different dance compositions and routines that went along to separate songs, including “Yeah!” by Lil’ Jon and Usher and “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees. Student acapella groups also took the stage, including SU’s Groovestand, Oy Capella, the Mandarins and the OttoTunes. Rhodes Corduroy, a band composed of four SU students, also performed two songs.
In each of the twelve hours, the marathon adopted different themes, some of which were inspired by tailgates, disco parties, ugly sweater parties and raves.
Around 2 p.m., students were challenged to each raise $22 for each of the 22 counties that Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital serves.
Throughout the twelve hours, the dance floor was home to “Morale Dances,” which included OttoTHON team members, volunteers and all event participants. With each Morale Dance, everybody danced together, performing specific routines for five to ten second intervals per song.
The last Morale Dance, rounding out the day at 10 p.m., was particularly moving for some students, like junior Maggie Majeski, who is also a member of the hospital relations team for OttoTHON.
“Knowing what it means when 10 o’clock comes, it’s a really bittersweet feeling,” Majeski said.
This year, OttoTHON raised $103,849.97. However, the real benefits of the dance marathon were the connections made between the students and kids, whose lives will forever be changed by the donations from OttoTHON, said Addie Antshel, an SU freshman.
“This time around, getting involved at SU, it’s been awesome to see the actual impact on the kids,” Antshel said. “Because of today, they’re lives are going to be positively affected in a direct way.”
