West High Dance Marathon is an student organization at West High School where students participate together to find ways to raise money and awareness about all types cancer and other illnesses. WHSDM holds many events to kids who have been affected by cancer. One of their more popular events is the dance marathon held every year around January 14th. WHSDM one day hopes to get everyone participating and aware about cancer.
WHSDM is a student-run organization that began in the fall of 2012. The organization raises awareness and raises money for pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. WHSDM makes big events such as Gold Outs for kids who have been affected by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
Hannah Luce ‘18 has participated in WHSDM ever since her sophomore year, because her sister was part of the leadership and so she helped her. Luce first got involved with WHSDM in junior high after hearing about WHSDM’s Gold Out event.
Luce is motivated by the kids.“Those kids are going through incredibly hard times and so many hardships and just need people there emotionally and financially to support them,” Luce said. Luce’s grandma has been in and out of remission and so cancer really hits home for her.
Luce says that still remembers the time after Thanksgiving when her grandma had to shave her hair. She says she remembers everyone sitting and getting emotional and crying. Strong emotional responses are common for students involved with WHSDM.“I saw my moral kiddo and her name is Chloe, and I was just brought to tears because she was just a little girl and she had gone through so much,” Luce said.
Luce hopes to one day become a school counselor and she hopes to “bring” WHSDM to her future school. “I just think it’s so amazing to be able to provide students with the opportunity to fulfil their passion to help others,” Luce says.
Another participant is Catherine Collins ‘18. Collins has been participating in WHSDM ever since her freshamn year. Collins was pushed to join WHSDM by a good friend in the organization and as well as her dad participating in the University of Iowa dance marathons. “It’s always something that’s been a passion of our family and so I guess I just followed in my parent’s and friend’s footsteps,” Collins said.
One of Collins’s personal connections with cancer was when her mom was diagnosed with stage one or two ovarian cancer at the age of 13. Collins also recently lost her grandpa to cancer.
“I’m just amazed at how great and privileged I am to work with all these kids,” Collins said.
When Collins graduated she hopes to study international relations or be involved in some time of service because she doesn’t want to work in office . Collins hopes to go to Macalester College and she talked to her admissions officer about dance marathons at the college and the admissions officer says there are none.“So heck yeah, this is an opportunity to start something there no matter the scale of people,” Collins said.
Alanna Lair ‘20 has been participating with the organization since her freshman year because one of her mom’s really close friends and her daughter had cancer. “The University of Iowa dance marathon event helped her pay for radiation and stuff, and so I just wanted to be part of people coming together to raise money for a good cause,” Lair said.
Lair was personally connected to cancer,“When my grandma had skin cancer there was a point where we all thought she was going to pass away and when that happened I don’t know I just became more passionate about raising awareness,” Lair said
Lair became even more passionate after the death of Austin “Flash” Schroeder. “I didn’t really know him on a personally level but I still think it affected everyone,” Lair said. Lair wants to continue participating in WHSDM to help people affected by cancer and other serious life-threatening illnesses.
Luce, Collins, and Lair all one day hope to pass one their precious memories and experiences of WHSDM to their kids and future generations so one day it could mean something for the kids in the future.