UGA Miracle will host its 29th annual Dance Marathon in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall from Feb. 24-25, 2024. The 25-hour event marks the organization’s final push to fundraise for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 

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“Money that we’re raising is directly impacting people and families who are sitting in the hospital day in and day out,” said Tess Abraham, the executive director of UGA Miracle. “You can’t put yourself in their shoes,” she said.

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UGA Miracle serves as the official philanthropy for Greek Life at UGA and reports that they are the largest academic donor to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 90% of the funds UGA Miracle raises benefit the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, and 10% support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Abraham said that a portion of this year’s fundraising will also support the Arthur M. Blank Hospital, which is scheduled to open this September in Brookhaven. 

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“Over the last 29 years that UGA Miracle has been established at UGA, we’ve donated over $14 million to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which is something that we’re super proud of,” said Abraham. By the end of last year’s Dance Marathon, which hosted nearly 2,000 people, the organization raised over $1 million.

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UGA Miracle celebrates the end of its fundraising season by booking an entire weekend with performances, dancing and activities for participants and family beneficiaries of the organization’s fundraising. 

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“We are super lucky that we have lots of families and staff who are willing to come speak to us here about how that money actually impacts people and families every single day,” said Abraham. 

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Two Athens-based bands, Sunday Driver and Five Gallon Flow, will perform at the event on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., respectively. The appearance by Sunday Driver, a rock ‘n’ roll band, will follow just over a year since the group’s first performance.

The theme for this year’s Dance Marathon, “Make it Count,” reflects Abraham’s perspective on the event's impact. 

“Every year, I walk away feeling more inspired than the last,” she said.

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Topics: Dance Marathon, UGA Miracle, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta