Title: SEDM: Get Involved!

Title: SEDM: Get Involved!

Purpose: To convince my audience to take an active role in SEMO’s first Dance Marathon

Thesis: Students should get involved in the Southeast Dance Marathon because it is a great opportunity to have fun and to make a significant contribution to the Children’s Miracle Network.

Formal Outline

Introduction:

I. I’d like you to consider several questions.

A. First, what is the longest amount of time you’ve spent awake?

B. Second, what is the longest amount of time you have spent on your feet?

II. You’ve probably pulled an all-nighter or two, and your feet have

probably ached from a long day on the job.

III. Chances are, however, that you have never spent an entire forty-eight hours awake

and on your feet at the same time.

IV. Crazy as it sounds, 700 students at Penn State did just that this past February.

V. Why would anyone force themselves to stand for forty-eight hours? The students

were participants in an event that the Chronicle of Higher Education called “both

agonizing and exhilarating”—the Dance Marathon.

VI. The Dance Marathon is an event that occurs on college campuses across the nation.

VII. It raises huge sums of money for children’s research hospitals.

A. Indiana University, for instance, raised $920, 386.20 for the during its recent Dance

Marathon.

B. And Penn State’s marathon, which The New York Times recognized as the largest

student-run philanthropy in the country, raised an astonishing $4.2 million.

C. Now it’s our turn.

VIII. On April 28, Southeast students will have the opportunity to participate in the

very first Dance Marathon on this campus, which has set a goal of $10,000.

IX. I encourage you to get involved in the Southeast Dance Marathon because it is a

great opportunity to have fun and to make a significant contribution to the

Children’s Miracle Network.

[Preview] Today, I will explain what the Dance Marathon is and what it is not, how

you can get involved, and why you should take this chance of a lifetime to give

someone else a lifetime of chance.

[Transition] Before I show you how you can make a difference by participating in the

Dance Marathon, I’d like to tell you more about it.

Body:

I. A few simple guidelines make the Dance Marathon official and successful.

A. First, the Dance Marathon is not always a forty-eight hour event.

1. According to Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Marathons typically last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.

2. The first Dance Marathon at Southeast, however, will only last twelve hours.

a. The event will occur on Saturday, April 28 in the North Rec Center and will last from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

B. Second, the Dance Marathon is not limited to certain people.

1. Everyone at SEMO is allowed and even encouraged to participate.

2. Even professors and other staff members are welcome!

C. Next, the Dance Marathon is not a dance competition.

1. Contrary to what you may think, dancers in the marathon do NOT spend an entire

twelve hours dancing.

2. Rather, the Dance Marathon is an opportunity to raise money for the Children’s

Miracle Network.

a. Lauren Heist of Dance Teacher magazine explains that before the marathon, the participants find sponsors who agree to donate a certain amount of money upon completion of the marathon.

b. The goal for dancers in Southeast’s marathon is $100 per dancer.

3. During the marathon, dancers do not dance the entire time, but they are required to remain standing except during meals and bathroom breaks.

a. Molly Giles, the 2006 Director of Promotions for Indiana University’s Dance

Marathon, explained the significance of the dancers standing for so long.

b. This year, the theme of Indiana’s marathon was “We dance because we can; we

stand for those who can’t.”

c. As Giles explained, some of the kids affected by diseases would love the opportunity to stand just for a few moments. The dancers stand in support of those who cannot.

4. In addition to standing the entire time, dancers participate in a number of

activities and are constantly entertained.

a. They learn a morale dance, receive massages and encouragement, eat catered

food, and compete for prizes in games like “Knock Out” and “Simon Says.”

b. Additionally, there will never be a dull moment at the marathon, since several

bands will perform, and a local radio station might even be in attendance.

D. Furthermore, the Dance Marathon is not only for the enjoyment of college students.

1. Perhaps the most memorable part of the marathon is the interaction between dancers and children from the hospitals whose families attend the event.

a. I recently attended Indiana University’s Dance Marathon and witnessed dancers

and hospital patients coloring, decorating cookies, dancing, and playing games.

b. And, after being awake for more than twenty-four hours, Indiana dancers

somehow found the energy to fill the room with deafening cheers and applause

as the hospital patients performed in a talent show and their parents’ shared

personal stories.

c. Brian Tenclinger, long-time advisor for Iowa State’s Dance Marathon, summed it up when he said that the marathon is “all about the kids.”

[Transition] Clearly, the Dance Marathon is a day of fun and entertainment for all

involved, and participation is both simple and worthwhile.

II. Getting involved in the Dance Marathon is actually easier than you think, and it offers

substantial rewards.

A. The greatest way to participate in the Dance Marathon is to donate your time and

talents as a dancer.

1. To become a dancer, all you need to do is volunteer.

a. You can pick up a registration form on your way out today.

2. There is a $15 registration fee. This money, however, is counted toward the $100

total you are encouraged to raise, meaning you will only need to raise an additional $85.

a. Raising this money will be easier than you may expect.

i. As a dancer, you will receive a dancer packet filled with fundraising tips and a

completed letter to send to family and friends for donations.

ii. Furthermore, if you are a member of an organization, that particular group

can sponsor you or help you fundraise, or you could even ask one of your

classes to sponsor you!

[Internal Transition] Clearly, getting involved in the Dance Marathon is fairly easy.

Participation, however, is also extremely worthwhile.

C. As I have already explained, money raised through the marathon is donated to

hospitals of the Children’s Miracle Network.

1. Specifically, money from Southeast’s marathon will be split between St. Louis

Children’s Research Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Miracle Center in

St. Louis

2. I know I have known several people who have been patients at these hospitals. How many of you know kids who have received treatments at one of these hospitals?

a. According to their official website, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals

provide $2.5 billion in charity care each year, and treat 98% of children needing

heart or lung transplants and 88% of those with cancer.

b. The Dance Marathon is a fantastic opportunity to help these hospitals continue to

improve treatments and, more importantly, improve lives.

D. Additionally, the Dance Marathon is an opportunity for a remarkable experience.

1. The marathon is an opportunity to interact with countless students you may

never meet otherwise.

2. More importantly, it is a chance to learn more about yourself and more about

those less fortunate than you as you survive the long marathon.

a. Jeff Sorensen, chair of the Morale Committee at Indiana University, says that

“Dance Marathon is about learning what a priority is in life,” and “a true

priority in someone’s life should be giving back to others who need your

help.”

3. As a dancer, you too can discover the incredible experience of knowing you

helped save children’s lives.

4. Dancer Chuck George summed up the experience of the marathon when he stated in USA Today, “I love this. My feet hurt, but the feeling in my heart won’t

go away.”

E. If nothing else, participation in the marathon will earn you a day of entertainment, a

free t-shirt and free food, and an activity that will look great on your resume.

[Transition] Undoubtedly, the Dance Marathon is an easy way to raise money for a

worthwhile cause and have a memorable experience at the same time.

Conclusion:

I. Today, I have shown you what the Dance Marathon is, what it is not, and how simple it

is to be involved.

II. I’ve shown how your participation will affect the lives of children as

well as your own.

III. Perhaps there’s still more you need to know, and I’ll be glad to answer any questions

in a moment.

IV. It’s only fair, since I began by asking you to consider several questions.

V. Now, I will ask the most important of them all: Who would like to sign up?

Works Cited in APA Format

Chen, David W. (1998). They dance all night—two, in fact. The New York Times.

Retrieved January 22, 2007 from ProQuest database.

Children’s Miracle Network. (2006). Retrieved November 8, 2006 from

http://www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org/.

Heist, Lauren. (2004). Dancing all night. Dance Teacher. Retrieved November 8, 2006 from eLibrary database.

Indiana University Dance Marathon. (2006). Retrieved November 25, 2006 from

<http://www.iudm.org/>.

Indiana University Dance Marathon. (2006). IUDM Program. Indiana University: Public

Relations Committee.

Manning, Anita. (1997). A dance to remember Penn State’s 48-hour event benefits kids

with cancer. USA Today. Retrieved January 22, 2007 from ProQuest database.

Strout, Erin. (2006). Hearts and soles. Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(27). Retrieved

November 8, 2006 from EBSCOhost database.