By Amanda Foust
University High School’s Global Citizens Club is promoting a dance marathon to support the Invisible Children Organization. This humanitarian club focuses on being a global citizen through raising money and awareness for different non-profits around the world.
Robin MacKellar, of Zionsville, is a senior at UHS and co-president of the Global Citizen’s Club said: “As a club, we try our best to make sure we are making a difference in the world as much as we can while in high school.”
Since 2008, University High School has partnered with Invisible Children with its overall goal being to end the 28-year war in Central Africa and rehabilitate the people of that area. Invisible Children offers scholarships to students affected by the war who want to complete secondary and college degrees, deemed “legacy” scholarships.
Compared to the amount of students who apply for the legacy scholarships, there are not as many given out due to lack of funds.
“Currently Invisible Children has around 550 students who they need to support for two more years,” MacKellar said. “That is why they are having the dance marathons so they can raise the money to finish these scholarships.”
Thirty dance marathons known as “heartbeats” are planned to happen in the U.S., Canada, and Scotland this year. Many are happening next month, and will be expected to last six hours with the goal of 75 participants at each location who will raise $20 per hour. The grand total is expected to be $270,000.
“We want the community to become involved because we are the only dance marathon happening in Indiana and the surrounding states,” MacKellar said.
University High School’s Dance Marathon will be from 6 p.m. to midnight, Nov. 14 at the school, 2825 W. 116th Street in Carmel. There will be music from the early 2000s and a “diva hour” featuring the best songs of Katy Perry and Beyoncé music. For the children who attend, there will also be a bounce house.
For more information, or to sponsor a dancer, visit www.give.invisiblechildren.com/universityhighschool.
