Annual USCA dance marathon benefits kids at GHS

About 200 USC Aiken students took part in an annual dance marathon Friday, raising funds for the 16-hour event to benefit the Georgia Health Sciences Children's Medical Center. Staff photo by Rob Novit.

Jordan Hall couldn't have been happier as he raced around the basketball court at the USC Aiken Convocation Center on Friday night, joined by nearly 200 university students.

Jordan, who has Down syndrome, was more interested in some pickup basketball, not realizing that the annual dance marathon hosted by the Student Life Office was in large part all about him and his younger brothers.

The students were raising and donating funds for the 16-hour event to benefit the Georgia Health Sciences Children's Medical Center in Augusta.

"With 192 dancers registered, we'll raise a lot of money for the hospital," said Sam Filkins, the assistant director of Student Life, Greek Life and Volunteerism at USCA. "The goal is to raise $5,000, and the students and their organizations have been working hard to raise money toward that goal."

Parents Jenny and Tim Hall said their three sons have had a total of 14 surgeries at the medical center. Jordan underwent open heart surgery in the past, while the younger boys have experienced kidney issues that required operations.

"The Children's Hospital has been a blessing for us," said Jenny Hall. "We come every year because we really want to support these (college) kids. They do an awesome job every year. It's amazing what they do for us."

The informal rules had one significant change. For the first time, students could sit down anytime during the hours of 6 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday. That generous concession, of course, came at a price - $1 for each minute off their feet. That probably turned out to be the biggest fundraiser for the event, Filkins said.

School of Nursing students Margaret McCoy and Amanda Moriority were among those representing the Student Nurses Association and the Student Nurses Advisory Council.

"It was fun last year," Moriority said Friday. "The dances seem like they're longer this year, and we're going to be exhausted. But it will be worth it."

Betty Abraham-Simmons, a School of Nursing professor, serves as the SNAC adviser.

"I felt it would be an injustice for the students to come out without the faculty coming out for at least a portion of the time," she said.

Kateland Mason, a junior and Student Life staffer, helped coordinated the marathon. It's always a blast, and it's fun to work with difference groups, she said.

"It's great to see people come together and support such a great cause," said student Quinton Williams. "We just want to give back to the community for what it does for us as a college."

Senior writer Rob Novit has worked as a journalist for the past 41 years. He joined the Aiken Standard staff in 2001 and covers education news and general assignments.