GiGi’s Playhouse Youth Board-Successful Dance Marathon 2018!

By Melissa Wong

I serve on the GiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis Youth Board. The Youth Board hosted the first ever Dance Dance Marathon for the Annapolis location on November 17th. All high-school students from the Anne Arundel County area were invited to participate. We danced and engaged in a variety of activities for 3 hours and 21 minutes while promoting Generation G: Be Accepting. Be Generous. Be Kind. We raised $7,000.00 for GiGi’s Playhouse Annapolis and had almost 100 people sign up for the Generation G Pledge!

Congratulations! Severn High School students were the top fundraisers!

Throughout the duration of the dance we had minute-to-win-it games, family feud, a line dance on the hour, motivational speakers, and astounding performances from self-advocates from the Maryland Twisters Cheer Team, and Creative Force Dance Center. A highlight from this whole experience was seeing familiar faces come together to raise awareness and funds for a noteworthy cause while having an enjoyable time. At the end of the Dance Marathon my friend approached me and told me one of the most heartwarming things: “This was one of the most memorable days of my life. I didn’t fully understand what the Gigi’s was about, but by partaking in the Dance Marathon I have now gained more knowledge about the organization and has me eager to get involved.”  It was fulfilling knowing that a dance marathon could make such a big impact on people’s lives. Overall, the day was full of contagious positivity and widely accepting people coming together to promote self-advocates.