Seton Hill University Dance Marathon
Friday, Apr 3, 2009
College Kids Boogie Down for a Cause
The Children’s Institute to Benefit from Seton Hill Dance Marathon
Students are stretching their muscles and polishing their dancing shoes in preparation for Friday’s “Dance for Hope,” a 24-hour dance marathon to benefit The Children’s Institute sponsored by SHU-A-THON, a student club founded by Seton Hill University student Emily Heinicka, of Irwin, Pa. The event begins Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m. and will conclude on Saturday, April 4, at 7 p.m. This event is open to the public. Anyone interested in participating must obtain financial pledges of support for The Children’s Institute. For more information, please e-mail shuaton@setonhill.edu.
“We are thrilled to be named the beneficiary of this event,” said Helene Conway-Long, director of Development and Marketing for The Children’s Institute and Seton Hill alumna (MBA ’04). “The funds raised from ‘Dance for Hope’ will go to the Annual Fund, helping to provide needed medical and rehabilitation services to children and families without the financial resources to pay for these services. Last year alone The Children’s Institute provided approximately $4.5 million in uncompensated care.”
The event’s schedule is packed with a variety themed dance sessions including Flashdance, hoedown and Broadway to name a few. Heinicka anticipates 75-100 dancers to participate in this first annual event. The festivities will conclude when families from The Children’s Institute join the fun from 3–7 p.m. on Saturday. All are invited to dance and participate in children’s activities such as arts and crafts, meeting the Eat n’ Park Smiley Cookie and meeting the Seton Hill University Griffin.
“When we decided to find a charitable organization to benefit, we wanted to find one that helped children, specifically with autism,” explained Emily Heinicka. “One day I saw one of The Children’s Institute’s commercials and it prompted me to research them. I discovered all of the wonderful services they provide children with special needs including autism, and I knew I wanted to help them with their mission.”
In the fall, SHU-A-THON hosted a 5k Run/Walk. The Children’s Institute was the beneficiary of this event also.
SHU-A-THON is a student club founded by Seton Hill junior Emily Heinicka as her Honors Capstone project. The purpose of SHU-A-THON is to create awareness of a regional issue through the collaboration of the Seton Hill University and Greensburg communities by hosting events throughout the academic year to educate and raise funds. Heinicka took her inspiration for SHU-A-THON from Penn State University’s THON, and received strong support from THON as she worked to create a similar organization at Seton Hill. She hopes that SHU-A-THON will continue as a student club after she graduates from Seton Hill.
ABOUT SETON HILL UNIVERSITY
Seton Hill University, founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1918, is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Greensburg, Pa. Seton Hill offers more than 30 undergraduate programs and eight graduate programs, including an MBA. For more information on Seton Hill please visit www.setonhill.edu or call 1.800.826.6234.
