Event Preview Story

While the University of Georgia gears up for its 30th annual Dance Marathon in just a few short weeks, the organization that hosts this philanthropic event, UGA Miracle, is preparing for how recent modifications–such as the transition from a 24 to 13 hour event– will transform the occasion.

UGA Miracle Program is the largest student-led philanthropic organization at the University of Georgia. Miracle supports the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Every year the program hosts Dance Marathon to benefit CHOA and uplift their patients and families.

On Saturday, March 29th, 2025, UGA Miracle will host their largest philanthropic event of the year in the Stegeman Coliseum. For over a decade, Dance Marathon has taken place in the Tate Grand Hall. However, for its 30th anniversary, Miracle plans to take guests down memory lane by celebrating this milestone at the inaugural site of Dance Marathon.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and ends later that evening at midnight–another aspect of the event that is shifting. Since Miracle’s Dance Marathon inception, the festivities have lasted for 24 hours. This year though, leadership within UGA Miracle has shortened the length of the occasion to 13.5 hours, mirroring a half-marathon rather than the full.

This alteration does not stem from a loss of funding or motivation–quite the opposite, in fact. Rather than a more literal dance “marathon” that requires endurance from volunteers and guests to keep the event lively for a full 24 hours, this new 13.5 version follows a sprint model, something which was introduced to UGA Miracle leaders this past summer at a conference for Dance Marathons nation-wide.

Stella Mele, UGA Miracle’s programs director, attended the conference and described the relevance of the sprint model, stating that, “It's more important for a short period of time to get people engaged and fundraise rather than have a longer event and an overall longer Dance Marathon season in general.”

The motivation behind the sprint model is that it promotes more funding despite less time to donate and less (perceived) effort. So far, the model has proven accurate, providing UGA Miracle with their most successful Greek Week and President's Day to date.

However, these changes provide more than just increased donations and volunteers for the event. They also present a more accessible Dance Marathon for the patients and families traveling from CHOA and other parts of Georgia to enjoy. For example, moving Dance Marathon to Stegeman Coliseum creates a fully wheelchair-accessible event for physically disabled participants.

One former patient of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and current University of Georgia freshman, Mary Webb shared that part of the personal importance of attending Dance Marathons as a ‘Miracle kid’ was the special feeling of having people other than her family and personal friends in her corner.

There are over 70 teams helping fundraise for Dance Marathon. With only two weeks until the event, Miracle is entering into their March Madness week, a final campaign that encourages students to donate or volunteer.

“Firsthand experience has been so rewarding… we're working so hard, and… don't always see the payoff… then when you do, it's…rewarding to know that you've made that difference in the lives… of people,” remarked Lexi Buzzell, UGA Miracle’s external director and head of the program’s diversity team, when asked why volunteering at Dance Marathon is such a positive experience.