University of Vermont RALLYTHON Receives 2023 Mission Integration Award

Miracle Network Dance Marathon recognized top performing Dance Marathon programs at the Dance Marathon Leadership Conference (DMLC) held in St. Louis, MO from August 3-6.

The Mission Integration Award recognizes a Dance Marathon program that effectively educates its participants and donors about their local hospital through communication and engagement with hospital staff and local miracle families. This year’s winner, University of Vermont RallyTHON ensured that their participants, donors, and supporters were not only educated about the impact of the hospital but went further to provide supporters with several opportunities to interact and connect directly with patient families and hospital staff.  

RallyTHON’s end of year Dance Marathon event integrates the mission of the organization in a variety of ways from the Chief of Pediatrics kicking off the event, to providers from all different departments attending and speaking to participants to tell the story of how funds make an impact throughout the Hospital. Additionally, RallyTHON took the traditional dance marathon element of “color teams” and transformed these into “miracle teams” with each team being assigned a miracle family who participate as members of the team in all event challenges and activities.  

However, where RallyTHON goes brings mission integration to the next level, is through their incorporation of the hospital, families, and staff in events throughout the year. The RALLYTHON team hosted a Child Life benefit event where members of the UVM Community hand tied blankets and created sensory kits to be donated to the Child Life department. The program also hosted tabling in the campus center to write appreciation notes to the physicians and providers at the UVM Children’s Hospital as part of Random Acts of Kindness Day. 

Through events year-round and activities during their Dance Marathon, they ensured that the mission was at the heart of everything Dance Marathon did last year. Congratulations, University of Vermont! 

The University of Vermont presented a session on Mission Integration at DMLC 2023. You can view a recording of that presentation here: https://youtu.be/0V7-ehH3c30  

Miracle Network Dance Marathon is an international movement, involving over 400 colleges, universities and K-12 schools across the United States and Canada that fundraise for their local member hospital of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. These students work tirelessly throughout the year to raise funds one dollar at a time by making the ask to family and friends. Their hard work culminates in a celebration on campus or virtually, where participants can rally together as a community for their local member hospital of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Students involved in Dance Marathon gain valuable skills in fundraising, peer management, delegation, and philanthropy. Miracle Network Dance Marathon programs have collectively raised more than $350 million since 1991.