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Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the official website of IlliniThon, a Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign! For those unfamiliar, IlliniThon is a year-long movement that raises money and awareness for our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital. We work throughout the year to ensure the miracle kids receive the best medical care available and create a future free of pediatric illness and injury. For 14 years and counting, thousands of students have come together as one generation fighting for the next, making IlliniThon the largest philanthropic student organization at the University of Illinois. This year-long effort culminates with our 12-hour dance marathon event in April. This event is a celebration that perfectly condenses months of hard work done by our Executive Board, Leadership Team, and General Members into one “Big Event” but the impact of IlliniThon reaches far beyond the walls of the University’s Activity and Recreation Center from which it is held. At the Big Event and small events throughout the semester, students get to hear from families and listen to their inspiring stories. It is an organization that lets you make connections with the families whose lives are being changed because of our efforts and that feeling is something you can’t get anywhere else. 

 

What IlliniThon is able to do for the Miracle Kiddos and families of St. John’s Children’s Hospital would not be possible without the generosity of students, donors, sponsors, alumni, and volunteers like you! In both 2021 and 2022, years like no other that were filled with uncertainties, IlliniThon raised over $80,000 because Kids Can’t Wait! In 2023 we were able to raise $91,248.65, beating 2022’s total by over $10,000. This year, in 2024, we raised $72,000. With your help, we are hoping to blow these numbers out of the water and hit $100,000 in 2025.

As President this year, I want to end my senior year knowing we did everything we could to change kids’ health and change the future. Your generous donations will go directly to the hospital and will also help us to pay for Big Event costs such as rental fees for the gym, decorations, hotels for the families, and food for participants. However, the bonds formed between our students, miracle children, and families have proven to go well beyond any monetary amount. As IlliniThon members, we pride ourselves in creating a family that gives every student at U of I an opportunity to create lifelong friendships and memories while providing hope for the kids at St. John’s.With that in mind, I encourage you to explore our website, get to know our executive board, peer into moments from our past events, see what is coming up in the future, and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. As Margaret Mead once said, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” Together, we can foster a future that betters the life of every child in Illinois.

 

On behalf of IlliniThon and the families of HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital, we thank you for your continued support; let’s all make IlliniThon 2024 -25 our best year yet!

Kids Can’t Wait,

Abby Chute

IlliniThon President

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