Riley Dance Marathon Finds New Ways to Raise Awareness

Kendall Unger and Heidi Schlabach

Although this school year has started in an unconventional way, the faculty and staff at HSE have been working hard to continue to offer social opportunities for its students. Many clubs are still meeting and holding events for their members to participate in. Riley Dance MarathonRDM, will have a unique look this year. RDM is a student run club known for putting on interactive events and fundraisers at HSE. The money raised is used to help support the Riley Children’s Hospital Even though the format of activities may look unfamiliar, the members of RDM have been working hard to create a fun, and most importantly, safe, way to raise money and continue to serve the community.

One issue that RDM has faced is that physical currency cannot be exchanged at this time due to COVID-19 precautionsSo, to get around this issue, RDM has made their own Venmo for people to send money to instead, which is @hserdmRDM hopes that this format will make donors feel comfortable to continue donating to their great cause. They will also be attending various sporting events throughout the school year in order to raise awareness and collect donations from the spectators. 

A memorable RDM event held every year is the “No Shave November” fundraiser. Male teachers will still be able to participate in “No Shave November” this year and students can vote on their favorite participant. But, instead of physically donating money, students will send money to the RDM Venmo account. In order to keep track of the votes, donors will include the name of the teacher the vote is for with their donation.  

RDM will also be announcing a variety of restaurant sponsor nights they will be hostingA percentage of the money that the restaurant makes that night will go directly to the RDM club’s support of the Riley Children’s Hospital. This is a very important way for them to raise money and awareness, as most conventional events cannot function as usual. So, to compensate, RDM will be hosting more restaurant nights than last year. When you see a RDM night at a local restaurant, you should show your Royal pride and dine out. 

RDM has been hard at work making sure that their club will be able to continue functioning during these uncertain times, and it is now paying off. You can show your support by donating to their Venmo account, participating in their activities, and following them on social media. 

Riley Dance Marathon Zoom meeting between student officials.
Riley Dance Marathon Zoom meeting between Heidi Schlabach (top right), Jakota Fischer (top left) and Sydney White (bottom). Photo by Heidi Schlabach