Little did you know, momentous things are taking over Ms. McEvoy’s yoga room on Thursday’s after school. A group of selfless students have dedicated themselves to raising money for a cause like no other. After attending Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago’s dance marathon their freshman year, Quinn Gorman and Sydney Schwartz, both class of ‘17, started the Chicago Dance Marathon club here at Whitney Young. The two girls took on the ambitious task when they were only sophomores, creating, leading, and molding a club that will leave its impact for years to come. “We were so inspired that we wanted to bring a team of Whitney Young students to the event the following year.” says Schwartz.

      The Chicago Dance Marathon itself is an eight-hour long dance party that raises money for the hospital. No worries, you can have two left feet and still join. The bright-eyed patients that attend would love to feel the support and warmth! Each family of the young patients will embark on stage to tell their brave story, applying emphasis on the importance of the audience’s donations. With only 30 members in 2014-2015, the girls helped obtain a whopping $13,000 their first time around. Determined to top that in the future, Chicago Dance Marathon raised an outstanding $24,000 with 70 members the 2015-2016 school year! Growth is inevitable, and they attribute the success of the club to the dedication, support, and philanthropic mindsets the members hold.
      As seniors, Gorman and Schwartz hope to leave their chapter here at Whitney Young’s knowing the following leaders will help continue raising the amount of funds necessary to attend the marathon, and keep Whitney Young’s chapter growing. They also hope to do something similar as they embark on their journey through college, and come back to visit Whitney Young’s very own Young Dance Marathon club in the future. Want to be a part of the cause? Email [email protected] to join!