Fundraising at 35,000 feet: Dance Marathon Students Fundraise on Delta Flight
After attending the Miracle Network Dance Marathon Leadership Conference, four students from the University of Mississippi’s RebelTHON were ready to jump right in to their fundraising efforts for the upcoming school year and got started on their flight home from the conference.
“We were buzzing about all the possibilities for RebelTHON this year while waiting for our flight, and we asked ourselves, ‘Why don’t we start now?’” said Lizzy Pitts, Vice President of Membership for RebelTHON.
Knowing that Delta Air Lines is a partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Miracle Network Dance Marathon program, they approached the Delta gate agent before their flight from Atlanta to Memphis to see if there was something they could do to raise money.
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“We were met with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and mutually shared passion when we explained our plan to fundraise during our flight. She shared our idea with the flight attendants, who were as equally as excited about the potential for changing lives during this routine flight” Pitts added.
The students set a fundraising goal for the flight that was connected to their local children’s hospital. They explained to the Delta team members that they hoped to raise $150 during their short flight for the 150,000 children that pass through Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital’s doors in Jackson, MS each year.
The flight attendants shared their goal with the passengers on board and the students collected donations as passengers exited the plane.
Pitts said that her team was “overwhelmed by the kind words and the willingness to give to a few college kids trying to make a difference. We were in awe of these complete strangers’ support of our mission to end childhood illness as we know it. We can’t believe we were ever apprehensive after seeing the success of this short campaign.”
After they landed in Memphis, the students went on Facebook Live to thank the Delta team members and their fellow passengers for their support and count the donations they had received. In just a few short minutes, the students had raised $170.00!
Thanks to the support of the Delta gate agent and the flight attendants, the students gained a new sense of confidence as they continue to fundraise this school year. “Never be afraid to ask for help because all it took was one simple question to raise $170 and an immeasurable amount of awareness for our children’s hospital” Pitts said.
RebelTHON raised $172,169.22 during the 2016-2017 academic year and hope to raise over $225,000 before their 2018 Dance Marathon on February 24th. Support their fundraising efforts here.
Miracle Network Dance Marathon is an international movement, involving over 300 colleges and universities across North America that fundraise for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Since its inception in 1991, Miracle Network Dance Marathon has raised more than $180 million–ensuring that no child or family fights pediatric illness or injury alone.
Learn more about Miracle Network Dance Marathon: