Editor’s Note: This is the third of a four-part series about what Dance Marathon does to help area children and their families.

Katie Ogden and her family will unite with ISU students to leave behind the concerns of their daily lives for 15 short hours Saturday.

Katie, one of several poster children for Dance Marathon, and her brother Joe anticipate Dance Marathon months in advance, said their mother, Laura.

This will be the third Dance Marathon for Katie and her family, and she wants to share the Dance Marathon experience with everyone.

“I’m going to make a flyer to invite classmates,” Katie said.

Katie was born with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria, or PKU. Because of the nature of the disorder, she must carefully regulate the amount of protein she eats.

Most protein contains the amino acid phenyalanine, which can result in mental retardation and nervous system damage if it is permitted to build up in the bloodstream.

From 9 a.m. Saturday to midnight on Sunday, participants will be “Kickin’ it for the kids” on the main level of Lied Recreation Center. During the 15 hours, none of the dancers will be seen seated.

Shelley Smith, ISU Dance Marathon co-director, said 450 dancers are signed up to participate in the day’s festivities.

Any student can still become a dancer by paying a $20 registration fee, which includes a T-shirt and food throughout the day, and by raising $180, which will be directly donated to Children’s Miracle Network. Dance Marathon is a special fund-raiser because the money stays within the area, said Smith, senior in chemical engineering.

Last year, Dance Marathon raised $125,000 for children treated at the Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Smith said she hopes the event raises more money this year.

In order to encourage community involvement, Smith said the organization has asked Ames residents, ISU faculty and graduate students to volunteer.

Campus clubs, organizations and residence halls have organized teams of seven to 15 dancers. One morale captain will lead each team.

The morale captain’s main job for the day is to keep everyone enthused and motivated, said Bradley Becker, morale co-director. The group keeps motivation high by leading morale dances and theme hours.

The morale dance is a synchronized dance performed each hour. During theme hours, morale captains will be changing their clothes to fit themes such as cowboys and the ’80s, said Becker, senior in marketing.

When dancers feel tired and stressed, they can also gain motivation by looking at a scrapbook of past Dance Marathons held at Iowa State and a quilt with pictures of children who have died in the past year, Smith said.

On Saturday, 35 families are expected to spend the day at the recreation center.

Dance Marathon benefits all who participate, Smith said.

“Everyone goes away with a feeling of accomplishment and having done something,” she said.