Celebrating 100 Days Until IUDM 2024!

By: Ayaan Abbasi

We started with over 200 jelly beans, and today we see that number reach 100, a number signifying that there are 100 days until IUDM 2024. 

At every IU Dance Marathon [IUDM] meeting, those in attendance are told the number of jelly beans, or days, there are until the next IUDM. The number of jelly beans until those magical 36 hours helps make clear the amount of time there is to make a difference.

100 days until IUDM is the biggest fundraising day for Riley Hospital for Children during the summer! Committees get the chance to work together to raise as much money as they can in a single day, encouraging each other to reach their fundraising goals for the day by reaching out to as many people as they can.

It also lets committees connect before returning to IU for the fall semester. Emma Bastin, IUDM’s Vice President of Internal Operations, says that today “allows us to look forward to the 100 days that we have left in the organization and until the marathon, because the marathon is so special, and all the days in IUDM are special.”

Over the spring semester, IUDM members have participated in a wide array of events and have strived to make the most out of the jelly beans that they have. From raising over $200,000 in the Old Riley Bucket challenge week alone to the Kids Can’t Wait

Carnival, not only has IUDM created a community for students on campus, but has fundraised continuously for Riley Hospital for Children. 

So, as IUDM 2024 quickly approaches, how best can you spend these next 100 jelly beans? 

Make the most of your committee meetings! Every year, those involved in your committee will change, and this is your last chance to be with this specific group of people. Take the chance by sitting next to someone new or starting a conversation with someone you haven’t talked to yet. Your committee is full of dedicated people who care about IUDM and Riley Hospital for Children!

Attend as many IUDM events that you can! Next semester provides even more opportunities to create a community for the hundreds of students involved in the organization and make a difference on Riley Hospital for Children. The IUDM community can look forward to events such as Day of Hope, the annual gala, and of course, the long-awaited IU Dance Marathon 2024!

Keep fundraising! Shane Newton, IUDM’s Director of Fundraising, top three fundraising tips are:

1. “Revisit those donor webs that you may have made during the spring to see who you haven’t asked to donate yet. If you haven’t made a donor web, you can reach out to your fundraising chair to connect you to this resource…Success always comes with ample preparation.”

2. “Utilize the resources that your funds chair will be sending out…You should be receiving social media, texting, and email templates to aid you in your fundraising efforts.”

3. “Utilize your fundraising chair! Your fundraising chairs are there to be a resource and help you succeed.”

There are 100 jelly beans until IUDM 2024. How will you make the most of those chances to make a difference?