More than 1,300 people are expected to attend RockeTHON this weekend to raise thousands of dollars for Mercy Children’s Hospital in downtown Toledo.

The dance marathon, which is The University of Toledo’s largest student-run philanthropy event, will be from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in Savage Arena.

“I attended my first dance marathon two years ago, and I fell in love with its success and potential, but most importantly who it was for,” said Sean Reck, a senior majoring in chemical engineering and overall director of RockeTHON. “Raising money for the kids and working hard to challenge other community members to do the same — that’s what I’m here for.”

The 13-hour event is the culmination of a yearlong fundraising effort in which participants dance, play games and learn about the families they are helping. Participants also can ride a mechanical bull, compete in basketball and dodge ball tournaments, get henna tattoos, and have a chance to win special giveaways.

In 2015, more than $106,000 was raised, and since its beginning, the UT dance marathon event has raised more than $700,000 for Mercy Children’s Hospital.

The RockeTHON committee set the bar even higher for 2016 with a goal of raising $130,000 throughout the year for Mercy Children’s Hospital.

For more information, visit rockethon.org.

Media Coverage
13 ABC (April 17, 2016)
WTOL 11 (April 18, 2016)
The Blade (April 18, 2016)