By staying true to the cause #FORTHEKIDS, Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ Dance Marathon Chapter ranked number nine on the top 10 list for highest raising high school dance marathons in the world this previous year, raising a total of $66,283.17 in donations. This made them the highest earning first year high school chapter in all of Dance Marathon history.

“Our school came together after the tragedy and we worked extremely hard to raise the funds that we did. We didn’t let anything stop us,” MSD Dance Marathon advisor Brittany Sinitch said. “That number is proof that anything is possible and the whole world came together to support us. Dance Marathons from across the country, different colleges came together just to come and support us. It represents strength and it means so much to us.”

There are a variety of lists which rank colleges, high schools and middle schools from across the nation. Each has a certain hospital they raise money for. In MSDs case, it is Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Earlier this school year, a few morale captains, delegates and executive board members were invited to visit the hospital. They got to see firsthand where the money they have raised was going, from research equipment to daily needs for patients.

The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is built to make the children being treated feel like normal kids. With a built in movie theatre and kid-friendly facility, it makes up for all the madness of treatments.

“It was a very meaningful experience,” sophomore Avril Engelhart said. “I find that helping others is very rewarding and I feel like I’m really making a difference which is really important to me.”

Dance Marathons main focus this year is to recruit other students to help them find their “why” and do something bigger than themselves.

“Of course we want to raise more money than we did last year because that just means more miracles for the kids in the hospital but i’m going to be proud of them no matter what we put up,” Sinitch said.

The Dance Marathon Chapter is aiming to beat their total from last year. Although it’s not about competition, they just want to raise as much money as they can for the kids.