Dance Marathon 1999 raised almost $34,100, and it also raised the spirits of children battling cancer.

Dance Marathon 1999, titled “Kickin’ It for the Kids,” was held Saturday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The event, which was held in conjunction with the Children’s Miracle Network, raised money for families with children who have cancer.

There were 185 participants who danced for the 12-hour marathon. The participants were divided into groups, and each group of participants danced for one family.

Families Director Carrie Driscoll said the committee members were very pleased with the event.

“We raised an unbelievable amount of money,” said Driscoll, undeclared sophomore. “We had five more dancers than last year, but we made twice as much money.”

The efforts of the participants and families help Dance Marathon exceed its goal to raise $30,000, said Eric Paisley, Dance Marathon executive co-director.

Each dancer paid a $25 registration fee, along with raising an additional $100.

However, Driscoll said many participants raised more than $100.

Last year, Dance Marathon was held in conjunction with Greek Week. Paisley, senior in management information systems and transportation logistics, said this year’s event was universitywide.

“We wanted to get more people involved,” he said, noting that half of the marathon participants were from the residence halls.

Some of the activities that were held included line-dancing and swing-dancing instruction, Indian dancing, a karate club presentation, a performance by the ISU Groove (Drumline), a giant Twister game and performances by the bands The Nadas and Steel Gravy.

Mike Hazel, junior in civil engineering, volunteered at the event, and he said it seemed well received.

“Everybody that was there was having a good time; everything ran a lot smoother than last year,” he said.

While the dancers may have had fun, the focus was the children, Paisley said.

“The best thing were the kids of the families we sponsored, just to see the fun they had and the smiles on their faces,” he said.

Hazel agreed that the most important part of the event was helping the children.

“Everyone was doing it just for the kids,” he said.

Driscoll said Dance Marathon is a positive community service event.

“It is one of the most worthy causes students can get involved in,” she said. “It’s not just for students. It’s for the community and for people who really, really need the money.”