At 7:40 a.m. Sunday, during the final hour of the IU Dance Marathon, dancers formed a large circle in the tennis center, put their arms around each other’s shoulders and swayed back and forth as ” Angels Among Us” from Alabama. Images of dead people appeared on a screen.

Dancers swayed, shed tears, buried their faces and reflected on the impact of this 36-hour weekend.

Once the song finished, the students quickly gathered on stage for the final reveal. Fifteen members of the IUDM accounting committee lined up on stage to reveal the total amount of funds raised in the months following the last marathon, each holding a poster displaying a number.

The crowd chanted “Children Can’t Wait” and one by one, the committee revealed the total: “$3,058,042.23 for Riley,” the posters read.

IU Dance Marathon raises funds for Riley Hospital for Children, a pediatric acute care facility in Indianapolis. Since its creation in 1991, the organization has raised a total of more than $53 million for the hospital.

It funds several endowments to the Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, including the Ryan White Chair in Infectious Diseases, the Ryan White Infectious Disease Endowment, and the IUDM Research Endowment. Thanks to these endowments, the center is fully funded and its clinical and research efforts are supported. THE center treats more than 2,400 patients per year and conducts research focused on malaria and HIV.

The marathon challenged more than 4,000 students to stay at the IU Tennis Center for 36 hours, which began at 8 p.m. Friday and ended at 8 a.m. Sunday. This year’s event featured speakers who shared their experiences at Riley, speeches from IU head football coach Curt Cignetti and IU President Pamela Whitten of live music and a talent show.

Sadie Kohlman, a sophomore on the IUDM Marketing Committee, creates graphics for the organization. She said she was part of a similar organization in high school.

“I’ve been affected by cancer and many other things,” Kohlman said. “My mother is a two-time cancer survivor. My father survived a heart attack and, like many things like this, we are just grateful for the incredible hospital care.

For many, IUDM is a chance to find community and purpose.

“I kind of found purpose in dedicating my time to something bigger than myself,” sophomore Olivia Thomas said. “Probably my favorite thing is hearing all of Riley’s stories. I think it really puts into perspective how much what we do impacts and helps people and allows Riley to continue to operate and maintain the incredible place that it is.

Senior Max Krauz has been participating in IUDM for two years.

“I think for me, initially, I signed up to make new friends, while doing something that was a great cause. And that’s exactly what happened for me,” Krauz said. “I was able to form great friendships with a lot of different people — the alumni who see me here now, the younger generations who want to see me return next year, knowing that I have had an impact on future generations.

Krauz said that while it takes a lot of time, especially since he’s on the corporate relations committee, it’s ultimately worth it to see everything come together.

Freshman Olivia Pierce is a member of the first-year Dancer Experience team as well as the Riley Development Committee, which serves as a connection between Riley families and IUDM. As a “Riley kid” herself, Pierce believed it was important to give back to a cause that had given to her. Pierce received treatment for eye cancer at Riley and underwent more than 30 surgeries, as well as chemotherapy.

“I dance because for 34 years, kids have danced for me,” Pierce said. “It’s a full circle moment, so it only seems right to dance for Riley’s kids while I’m still one too.”

Pierce said his favorite parts of IUDM were dancing the 12-minute moral line and hearing the stories of those treated at Riley.

“It’s nice to hear more stories about Riley and how they contributed to the lives of others,” Pierce said. “It’s always very inspiring, because my story is just one of millions.”