On Saturday, September 20, if you happened to venture to Buhl Hall after following a sign and a life-sized scrabble board, upon entering the Kresge Atrium you would walk into a room that Willy Wonka himself would envy. With giant lollipops, mints all around, and mini candies to complement them–keeping with the Candy Land theme–Chatham students participated in the Creative Writing Club’s first Dance-A-Thon.
Wanting to do a different kind of fundraiser, collaborating with the Beyond the Page Book Club, the Creative Writing Club opted to have a Dance-A-Thon. With Hall and Oates playing in the background and some dressed in costumes reminiscent of the lollipop guild, Chatham students danced to raise money for the Afghan Women’s Writing Project.
The Afghan Women’s Writing Project is a seven-year-old organization that believes that the ability to tell a person’s story is a human right.
“As soon as we found this organization, we knew it was the perfect fit for the club,” said Brittanie Terensky, President of the Creative Writing Club. “We, as a club, encourage Chatham students to tell their stories through writing, which is what AWWP does for those women in Afghanistan who need that kind of outlet. Plus AWWP is a project focused on empowering women, which just makes it an even better cause to give to.”
The Dance-A-Thon lasted for twelve hours from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., but there was more to the event than just dancing. If a participant needed a break there was plenty to do; movies, contests, tie dye, face painting, dodge ball, limbo, and of course games of Candy Land were available.
Although this was the first year that this particular event took place, those who were in charge were happy with the outcomes. Some of the highlights of the event mentioned by those in charge were the elaborate costumes that guests entered into the costume contest.
Hundreds of dollars were raised for the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, and even after the event, more donations were given.
If you did not attend this year, do not despair. The Creative Writing Club hopes that the Dance-A-Thon can become an annual event.
“This event was a ton of fun and we raised a lot of money so I don’t see why we couldn’t do it again next year,” said Terensky.