What happens in an IUDM Spring?

Here's our Spring Recap 2019!

Although IUDM is usually associated with the fall and first semester… we are here all year FTK baby! Since we #FoundOurFamily in January, we have been having many meetings, events, and fundraisers this semester in order to make this the best DM year yet. Just in case you missed any of the events we have held or are new here (hello!), we wrote this post to keep you updated on what IUDM does all year round.

Tacky Prom We all are obviously not too shy to dance, so Tacky Prom was just another way for us to make that money and practice our moves 9 months before the marathon… except in outfits that are questionable even for Morale. Tacky Prom is an event where every committee rades the Goodwill for outfits and shows up to the venue ready to dance and laugh the night away. Leading up to the night, all 18 committees raise as much change as they can so they can crown the next Tacky Prom King and Queen and determine who is going to lead the Spring Fundraising Challenge. The winner of the challenge this year was Public Relations who earned a whopping $1,575 of change towards their total. All is fair in love and tacky… Congratulations PR, and to Morale and Recruitment for coming in a close second and third. And congrats to all of the committees for coming out to the Warehouse, even though it might have been dusty, your dance moves sure were not!

Winners of the Tacky Prom Change Challenge, the Public Relations Committee!

Road Rules

Indiana University Dance Marathon and its committees have various ways to fundraise “for the kids” throughout the year before the marathon takes place. Methods range from garnering corporate sponsorships to badgering every number in your contact list — perhaps the most famous, however, is Road Rules. Described as “canning on steroids,” Road Rules involves standing outside of a shop or restaurant and asking for donations. While it may seem like your typical fundraising tactic, participants stay in their respective locations for hours, generally sporting costumes and signs or dancing around to grab attention. The fundraiser occurs several times throughout the year and sends committee members all over Indiana to collect donations. While the average canning session may raise in the tens of dollars on a good day, Road Rules has been known to rack up hundreds. Locations include Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Nashville, Indiana. Road Rules goes on whether it be cold, hot, raining, or snowing, and these participants do anything they can to raise money and awareness for the kids at Riley.

Kickback for the Kids

On March 28th, we had a spectacular day eating pizza, playing games, and hanging out with some Riley kids. Along with all the fun and games, we invite students of Indiana University to come and learn more about IUDM and how we help to make a difference for kids all over the world. Every day is for the kids at Riley, and this day is for expanding the news to your friends on campus. So for next time, if you have a friend who isn't involved in IUDM, but would love to be… we have just the event for them! Thank you DR for hosting this event!

FTK 5K / Volleyball Tournament

“The Toughest Run You’ll Ever Love.”

The Hoosier Half Marathon and FTK5K races kicked off on April 6th with a great turnout of runners, volunteers, and success! While both races are challenging with their own sets of rolling hills and mental walls, they each have beautiful views of Bloomington and relentless participants. One of these participants was Riley’s own Eli Dilts. Eli used to be an avid runner and 5k-er until he was diagnosed with a brain tumor; however, this discovery was only a setback for Eli, and he made his way back onto the pavement this year to walk a 5k without any help from his walker. He walked the whole 3.1 miles with a smile on his face, talk about a true athlete.

After the Half Marathon and 5k were over, our committees had a true bone to pick. This bone being the legendary Volleyball Tournament. All 18 committees duked it out on the field bumping, serving, and spiking their way to victory in the pursuit to win $1,000 towards their committee’s total. There was ruthless gameplay between those who played varsity volleyball all 4 years of high school and those who started their careers that day, but nonetheless, there would only be 1 winner and one committee given the honorary, golden ‘Wilson’ volleyball. The final game was a back-and-forth battle between Riley D and Accounting, but in the end, Accounting ruled the court and made that money. Congratulations Accounting on being the 2019 Volleyball Champions!