For the fifth consecutive year Iowa State will host Dance Marathon on Saturday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union, an event coordinated by more than 100 ISU students.

Around 500 ISU students have already signed up to dance for 15 straight hours in hopes of raising $175,000 to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and the Children’s Hospital of Iowa at the University of Iowa.

“We’ve been working since last February to put this event together,” said Dance Marathon Co-executive Director Bronk Harms. “And it’s just great to see Iowa State’s Dance Marathon keep growing and the support offered by the community and students. We’ve had nothing but positive responses from both groups.”

With the help of bands such as Hello Dave and The Nadas, Dance Marathon Entertainment Chairman Todd Hare said he expects the morale and energy level to remain high all night.

“Those are some pretty big names for college bands,” said Hare, senior in biology. “They’re going to bring a lot of energy and familiarity with their music and people will definitely get into it more since it’s not pre-recorded music.”

In addition to music, Hare has arranged for the ISU Pom Squad; ISU Ballroom Dancing Co.; Orchesis I; singer Charlie Oberg, senior in management information systems; Shy Of A Dozen, an ISU singing group; and DJ Brad Munford of Iowa City to perform. ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill also will be on hand to offer encouragement to the dancers.

“We hope to make the event more enjoyable than ever before,” Hare said. “We want people to actually have fun while they’re doing it, spread the word around and hopefully get more people out for Dance Marathon next year.”

Business and food sponsorship of the event is almost as important to the success of Dance Marathon as the turn-out of dancers, said Harms, junior in marketing. Area businesses, such as Hy-Vee Food Store, T Galaxy and Papa John’s Pizza have again offered support for the annual charity event. Alpha Sigma Phi, 2132 Sunset Drive, donated $3,000, Harms said.

More than 20 area families will be on hand Saturday. Having the families at the marathon gives students a hands-on opportunity to interact with those children less fortunate than themselves, Harms said.

“Having the children and families in attendance helps make them part of your day,” he said. “Even though it’s only for one day, it helps students realize what its like to be one of those children and makes them understand how fortunate they really are. It’s also important because you see that the money being raised is not just a statistic – it’s going to help an actual human being.”

Dance Marathon is held at more than 74 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada, according to a press release. The Children’s Miracle Network raises funds and awareness for children at 170 participating hospitals and clinics in North America.

In 2000, 1,100 participants of Dance Marathons at Iowa State and the University of Iowa raised $624,000 for Children’s Miracle Network, the release said.

The Dance Marathon Committee will welcome dancers and volunteers up to and during the day of the event, Harms said. Anyone interested in volunteering or dancing is encouraged to show up.

“It seems like a lot, but when you’re there, the time really flies by,” Harms said. “The best thing for me is when I see 500 college students take time out of their day to help less fortunate children.”