This story has been published on Nola.com.
Loyola University New Orleans Student Government Association President Elisa Diaz wanted to do something to leave a mark at Loyola. Diaz is from Miami and plans to go to law school in 2018 after serving as a campaign assistant upon graduation this May. She is a leader by nature that always feels like more can be done. She wanted the Loyola student body and SGA to do something philanthropic to help in the New Orleans community. Diaz got that and more with the impact of the fundraising of Dance Marathon for New Orleans Children’s Hospital.
“It feels absolutely incredible, it’s honestly my proudest accomplishment as SGA President thus far. Just to spend ten months fundraising, finding donors for raffles and food. It’s so wonderful to have the miracle families with us tonight and Loyola community come together for something bigger than ourselves,” said Diaz.
Loyola University New Orleans Student Government Association teamed up with Miracle Network Dance Marathon to raise money for New Orleans Children’s Hospital this past weekend and they exceeded their own expectations with an event full of dancing, face painting, and overall joy.
With an initial goal set of raising $10,000 Loyola SGA quickly exceeded that goal and decided to raise their goal to $20,000, which was exceeded by the time Dance Marathon kicked off.
The fact that SGA was able to raise over $20,000 still hasn’t sunk in for Diaz considering the initial goal of $10,000 and the impact this event can have on a family in need.
“I’m honestly still in shock because we started in January with just a $10,000 goal and to hit over $20,00 has been unbelievable. To have the Loyola community get together has been so great. To think some families have to go to the hospital and spend $15,000 on a heart monitor, just for us to make a significant difference for them is unbelievable,” said Diaz.
One of those miracle families in attendance was Kelly Usery and her daughter Sophia Liriano, who Kelly describes as a true miracle. Sophia was born with complex congenital heart defects and without a lot of her organs. Ursery believes that Dance Marathon is important because without these donations Children’s Hospital wouldn’t be able to offer the life saving operations it can.
“This is how Children’s Hospital is able to get equipment and stay up to date with technology. When Sophia had her first open heart surgery she was 12 days old. So for us this is the difference between life and death,” said Ursery.
Miracle Network Dance Marathon is an organization that has raised over $150 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 1991. The organization is non-profit and all of their funds go directly to Children’s Hospitals across the United States.
The MC of the Dance Marathon Blaine Mader, who is running for SGA Vice President alongside Ben Weil, raised the most money individually with a total of more than $5,000 and said that one phone call turned into a snowball effect of donations.
“It all started with my donation fee of $10. My original goal was to raise $100, I hit $100 in two days just making phone calls and talking to friends. I have always been somebody to go above and beyond everything that I am asked to do so I wanted to see how far I could take this. $100 turned to $200 and it kept growing and now I have raised $5,638,” said Mader.
Mader has a strong connection with Children’s Hospital that has drawn him close to Dance Marathon, understanding the importance of these donations and what they can do for children across the world.
“I was born with severe asthma and I have been in and out of Children’s Hospital’s my whole life. It was just a cause that I really wanted to get behind. I’m super passionate about everything that I do at Loyola so I figured why can’t I put that passion and energy towards this as well and it’s such an incredible cause and incredible event,” said Mader.
By the end of the night of Dance Marathon there was $24,183 dollars raised for New Orleans Children’s Hospital, which will go towards heart monitors, life saving surgeries, and various other procedures for children in need.
Kameron Hay 