Dance Marathon, A charity event for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, comes to Athens.

UGA Miracle, the largest student-led philanthropic organization at the university, will be holding its annual Dance Marathon event on Mar. 29 at the Stegeman Coliseum for the first time. 

After a long planning season UGA Miracle has settled on this date. 

“We’re definitely finding ways to navigate it, find spaces for all the things that we used to have as well as adding things on to our marathon.” said Stella Mele the Program Director of UGA Miracle.

At a media availability event at the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication building, UGA Miracle Program Director and External Director answered questions about how these changes have affected the event and its legacy as a whole.

Children's Miracle Network has been pushing for schools to shorten its Dance Marathon.

“The toughest part has been navigating those changes, just because it is so different. And our dance marathon has run pretty much the same for the past 30 years,” said Programs Director Stella Mele when asked what some of the biggest challenges faced were during the planning of the event this year. 

Dance Marathon has traditionally been a 26 hour event that's been held in Tate Grand Hall. This year it's in Stegeman Coliseum, and it is 13 hours long. 

“It's easier to engage students for a shorter period of time. And they've looked at the data, and they've seen that it doesn't really necessarily affect their fundraising in a negative way.” Said Mele. 

Just last year, UGA Miracle managed to raise over $1 million to go towards aiding sick children. 

“We always say to strive for better than we did last year.” Said Mele“That's really all we can do.”

This upcoming Dance Marathon will feature a silent disco, a rave with a hired DJ, and time for stories from families, which allows attendees to gain a better idea of UGA Miracle and its cause.