By Matthew Sotlar
Youngstown State University’s Guinathon sponsored its Miracle Week Oct. 2 to Oct. 6 and donations were collected through different events held around campus.
Guinathon is part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon, a nationwide non-profit organization that hosts dance marathons on college campuses to fundraise for children’s health. YSU has held Guinathon since 2016.
Guinathon is structured by an executive team, team leads and basic participants. Teams that raise over $50 can attend the dance marathon in February. Guinathon is also open to off-campus sponsorship.
Senior public and professional writing major and Guinathon’s co-executive director, Celeste Kapalin, said the program operates year-round.
“We fundraise all year long for Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley,” Kapalin said. “Then we have a dance marathon in the spring to celebrate the year, visit with our Miracle families and reveal how much we’ve raised.”
The dance marathon will be held Feb. 24, 2024 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center.
In previous years, Guinathon has raised over $70,000 for Akron Children’s. There are three teams participating in the upcoming dance marathon.
Miracle Week educates students about Guinathon and how to raise funds. Kapalin said Miracle Week is a great way to fundraise for life-saving hospital services and equipment.
“It’s just a week where all the dance marathons across the nation are working hard to raise money for their hospitals,” Kapalin said.
Miracle Network Dance Marathon contributes money to over 150 hospitals nationwide.
Guinathon held a tabling inside Kilcawley Center to spread awareness for the program and raise funds by selling Daffin’s Chocolate bars Oct. 2 and 3.
The organization also held a Pie In The Face event outside of Kilcawley Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 5. Participants could pie a Guinathon member in the face for $5 or a friend for $10.
The following day, Guinathon sponsored Bingo at Friday Nights at the Cove.
Junior integrated math education major and dance relations manager, Lucy Allen, said that anyone from YSU can participate in Guinathon.
“Anyone from campus is able to register, join a team, start a team or join the executive team. It’s open to all students, staff and alumni,” Allen said.
Miracle Week is usually held at the beginning of the school year, as Guinathon is focused on drawing as many donations and participants as possible.
“At the beginning of the year, we’re really focusing on pushing out awareness, making people aware of what Guinathon is, who it supports and how they can get involved,” Allen said.
Allen said that Guinathon is a great way to unite students and the community together while working for a good cause.
“It connects us as a university as one thing, as well as to the community, local hospitals and families,” Allen said.
Students who are interested in joining Guinathon can visit its website.