The 2020 version of State A Thon, officially known as the South Dakota Dance Marathon, had to break with its traditional gathering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A virtual dance marathon was held April 18 using Zoom, Facebook and Instagram as hosts. Participants were able to have interactive involvement.
In another first, SDSU teamed with the University of South Dakota for the event.
“This is probably the first and only time we will have the opportunity to collaborate like this. While we are rivals, this is an area where we want each other to succeed—every penny either of our programs raise will go to support the same children right here in South Dakota,†said Gabbie Gervais, a junior from Currie, Minnesota.
The virtual dance marathon raised $242,605.20 for the families at Sanford Children’s Hospital.
“Overall, our event went over really well,†Gervais said. “We had a lot of participation from our students, miracle families and community members. I think our team was able to create a day that was interactive and showcased our miracle children while still raising a ton of money for the children at Sanford Children’s Hospital.â€
Gervais, a human biology and premedicine major, said approximately 450 people stated they were going to the event via Facebook, she estimates the participant number to be higher because of interactions with the SDSU State A Thon page, Instagram involvement and donors.
