UTSA students raise more than $50,000 to fight childhood cancer

dance marathon fundraiser

FTK Dance Marathon at UTSA

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(April 14, 2014) -- The UTSA student organization For the Kids Dance Marathon (FTK) hosted its fifth annual 12-hour, high-energy, no-sitting, no-sleeping Dance Marathon from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 12 in the UTSA Convocation Center at the UTSA Main Campus.

The event celebrates the organization’s yearlong fundraising efforts to help children with cancer and their families. This year, FTK Dance Marathon at UTSA raised $50,025.63 as of Saturday at 9 p.m. This beats last year’s record of $40,455.63.

The FTK Dance Marathon at UTSA featured a group of more than 200 FTK dancers who participated by standing and dancing for 12 hours while interacting and performing with the children and their families.

The goal of FTK is to raise awareness while providing financial and emotional support for the children and their families affected by childhood cancer. The money raised by FTK does not support scientific research but rather helps families pay for more personal items such as parking at the hospital, groceries, gas and utility bills. In addition to raising money, the FTK students regularly spend time with the children at the hospital.

The 2014 FTK Dance Marathon at UTSA featured heartfelt speeches by some of the families, a visit from UTSA athletics teams, games and performances by a variety of groups. Additionally, 44 students from the Rio Grande Valley attended to stand for the kids.

On average, 12,500 children in the USA are diagnosed with cancer each year. Although survival rates for many childhood cancers have improved dramatically over the last few decades, cancer is still the leading cause of death by disease in children.

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For more information, visit the For the Kids website.

Follow UTSA FTK on Facebook and on Twitter @ftkdmutsa.

Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

 

 

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