Each year, Dance Marathon participants are rewarded for their efforts, but this year the group is restructuring and enhancing those benefits.

This is the first year a separate committee will direct the incentives program, which exists to motivate dancers to raise more money, help with recruitment and keep dancers comfortable throughout the day.

Cory Hanson, co-director of the sponsorship committee, said this is not the first year for incentives, but the program has never been as large as this year’s incentive program.

“We realized we should do something to encourage dancers to sign up early,” Hanson said.

The incentive program is for the dancers that will be participating in Dance Marathon.

“The incentive program was restructured to encourage dancers to raise larger amounts even though they don’t have to,” Hanson said.

The committee has come up with a leveled structure for this year’s incentive program. It is a cumulative program, meaning the dancer will get everything from their level and levels below theirs.

Plus, the dancer who raises the most money will have his or her name entered in a raffle for a semester-long parking pass from ISU Police.

Cassie Becker, co-director of recruitment, said people who sign up before Thanksgiving will also have their name entered into the raffle with the individual who raises the most money.

Beth Mertz, senior in management, said the incentive program should attract a lot of students.

“It looks really good, and the parking pass would be great,” Mertz said.

The new incentive program is modeled after incentive programs at other schools like the University of Iowa. These schools have found that the incentive program has worked well and lent the idea to Iowa State.

Hanson said they have implemented the program to get people to sign up before Thanksgiving. He said Thanksgiving provides the dancers with the opportunity to turn to family and friends for help with fund raising.

Hanson said the committee realized this was not the only thing that needed to be done to encourage dancers.

In addition, he said, the required fund-raising amount was lowered this year.

“This is a step forward, not a step back, because our numbers should increase,” Hanson said.

Becker said incentive programs have helped a lot in the past.

“Once it gets implemented it’s going to be a wonderful recruitment tool,” Becker said.

Hanson said he hopes people will keep the incentive program in mind as they continue to do fund raising for the event. Hanson said the new program has not been advertised, but information should be available on the Dance Marathon Web site.