Imagine performing a dance in front of strangers, while raising money at the same time. “Thrill the World Eugene” has been around since 2012, and is still bringing joy to many to this day. Founders Margo Jennings and Sandy Caughron started this fundraiser with the goal to raise money and to eventually break a world record.   Participants dance to Michal Jackson's “Thriller” while raising money for ShelterCare in Eugene.  

This event is free and open to all abilities, ages, race, and gender, to come and learn the dance during rehearsals. Co-founder of "Thrill the World Eugene” Margo Jennings had gotten an email from the director from "Thrill the world Portland, asking her to join in with them.” Margo said she thought it would be more beneficial for them to bring this to Eugene. “Thrill the World” is a national event. It happens every year the Saturday before Halloween. Thousands of people around the world dance simultaneously to Michal Jackson’s “Thriller” and attempt to break a world record,” says Sandy.

Since 2012, “Thrill the World Eugene” has raised $93,000 for ShelterCare, and is still raising more.  They’re  famous for their performances of “Thriller” but they do not only perform to this one song, When it is not the time of the year for “Thriller”, the organization performs to other songs, including new songs like “APT” but also older songs, like “Staying alive”.  All in all, “Thrill the world Eugene” is a fun organization that brings fun in the world, and so many people have joined, and more people are joining all the time. Maybe even after you read this article you will consider joining thrill the world Eugene yourself! 

CITATIONS

https://thrilltheworld.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Thrilltheworldeugene/

https://sheltercare.org/what-we-do/

Full interviews

Sandy Caughron Full Interview:

Alex: How did you and Margo come up with the thought of dancing to Thriller in particular?

Sandy: That’s an easy answer, because she and I were dance buddies back at the downtown athletic club years ago, and I was searching on YouTube and found the Portland group dancing to Thriller, and then I started reading the details, and it’s an international organization that does this countdown dance every year, and they were teaching the dances, so I said to Margo “Well lets learn the dance and do it, and she said “no, we're going to do it here.” But we figured out there was a total of 40 of us, 10 of them maybe dropped out,  taught ourselves the dance, got our friends to the deck, taught them the dance, and our first year was maybe 14 years ago, we had maybe 100 people, and I think the highest we've had was about 350 on year 5. 

Alex: What is your favorite song that you have performed?

Sandy: It would be “Thriller”. By far Thriller. This year there's going to be a Thriller dance at the baseball game, in the middle of the summer, so we are very excited.

Margo Jennings Full Interview:

Alex: How much money has been donated to shelter care since 2012?

Margo: I believe it’s $93,000. It’s incredible. It is insane. 

Alex: What is your favorite song that you have performed?

Margo: In the beginning, I loved “Thriller”, I thought I was Michal Jackson, I tried to be like him and everybody else that was doing it, but, after a while, after 10 or 12 years, you kinda get tired of that, and so now my favorite song is “Dynamite” or “About damn time”.