In a bustling classroom each Friday morning, a group of students gather together to discuss Dance Marathon. In addition to all their schoolwork and extracurriculars, members of the club devote time to helping kids with pediatric cancer. 

Members of Dance Marathon are focused on helping people and making a difference in people’s lives, from spreading awareness within City High to raising money for the University of Iowa Dance Marathon.

“[I love] being there for other people, people that don’t really have as much as you do or are going through a lot more than a normal person would have to go through,” said Jake Roth ‘22.

This year, the club is motivated to push the limits and raise more money than it has in past years. Right now, it’s working on raising money for the dance it is planning for the spring by selling footballs and clothing. Annika Rutt ‘22 is excited for her first year being a part of Dance Marathon.

“We’re selling some T-shirts at games and those will be for the kids,” said Rutt. “Hashtag FTK.”

However, there is more to Dance Marathon than fundraising. 

“It’s not just about raising money; it’s about raising awareness too,” said Roth.

Spreading awareness is a crucial part of the club’s mission, and it’s one of the biggest ways new members hear about it. 

“I joined because I had heard about the cause before, I thought it was a good cause, and I wanted other people to hear about it too,” said Rutt. 

The work Dance Marathon members do at City also impacts the rest of the community and Iowa City, because of the money they raise for the University of Iowa. One of the club’s goals is to reach beyond the limits of City High. For Roth, Dance Marathon is especially meaningful. 

“My sister has cancer, and she’s had it for about eight years,” said Roth. “We’ve been a Dance Marathon family for years now, so that’s kind of why I came in and stepped up here [at City].”

Dance Marathon strives to be inclusive, with a goal of welcoming anyone who wants to help.

“It’s open to anyone, and you can be as involved as you want,” explained Roth. “There are no requirements [to join] or anything, you just show up when you can.”

Both Rutt and Roth hope that Dance Marathon will continue to grow and gain more members throughout the school year. The club meets Friday mornings at 8:15 in room 3107.

“I really like helping out and it’s nice to move towards a goal, helping with something bigger than yourself,” said Rutt. “It’s really rewarding.”