Students met Monday night to discuss Iowa State’s largest philanthropic event that takes place on campus: Dance Marathon.

It was more than a recruitment gathering; students heard from a mother of two sons who were patients at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

Anne Patterson Weber, of Ames, said her son was born three months prematurely. Her other son, 2-year-old Matthew, developed Hirschsprung’s disease, a disease requiring surgery that removed 10 inches of his large intestine in the early stages of his life.

“You guys are what give us energy,” Weber said. “I praise you for taking the time out to learn about Dance Marathon … it’s awesome, what you guys do.”

It’s stories like Weber’s that make Jacki Pfeifer, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication, and Lindsey Loomer, junior in pre-advertising, continue to participate.

Pfeifer said she was a little hesitant when she began participating Dance Marathon in her first year.

“At first I was like ‘Eh, I don’t know if I’m going to like this’ and then I did it and I just loved it,” she said. “At first I was really timid, because you don’t know how to act in that situation [around the children], but I opened up, and once you get playing with them you realize that they all have their own personalities. At the end I ended up crying; going in I wasn’t expecting that at all.”

This year Pfeifer will be a Morale Captain. She said captains are “the ones who are dancing the whole time, dressed in ridiculous costumes.”

Dance Marathon at Iowa State is in its 11th year, supporting the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital through the Children’s Miracle Network. On Jan. 24, attendees will dance for 15 hours to support the two organizations in the Durham Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

The 2008 event raised $190,000 for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital through the Children’s Miracle Network. And although no monetary goals are set from year to year, Loomer hopes to raise money while retaining registered dancers.

Loomer, the executive director of Dance Marathon, said her decision to return to the program after being involved the first two years, was based on experience.

“When you see a kid running around, going crazy, you think he’s totally normal and hasn’t had any difficulties when really being born you realize he has half a heart, but now he’s got just as much energy as any other kid,” Loomer said. “And the technology that they used was sponsored from Dance Marathon, and that’s just amazing, that kids can lead normal lives and still have had that traumatic past.”

“It’s been the best experience I’ve had in college,” Loomer said.

Registration information for Dance Marathon can be found on its Web site: www.dm.stuorg.iastate.edu.