Spanish teacher Jessica Verywest and senior Zoya Hasan listen in on a conversation related to Dance Marathon funds. Dance Marathon is making the final preparations for its event on April 22, 2026. Senior Zoya Hasan talks about how she has enjoyed the process of preparing for Dance Marathon so far this year. “My favorite part of going there [Dance Marathon] with my friends Friday mornings its been a nice routine that we get to promote Dance Marathon with,” said Hasan.

What if a night of activities, games, and food could help save a child’s life? This spring, students at West High hope to do exactly that with our school’s first Dance Marathon fundraiser. 

Dance Marathon is a new club bringing energy and excitement to West High this spring. Sponsored by Key Club, this semester-long fundraiser supports Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that raises money for children’s hospitals across North America. The organization funds life-saving equipment, medical research, patient services and other initiatives for serious illnesses that need funding.

Although the committee’s name suggests dancing, Dance Marathon is much more than that. The three-hour-long fundraising event offers a variety of activities such as raffles and games, followed by food. The event serves to raise money by contacting various sponsors and organizations to donate to children’s hospitals. This year’s dance marathon will feature a red-carpet event. 

The event is entirely student-planned, with the dance committee meeting every Friday morning in Spanish teacher Jessica Verweyst’s room to organize and plan the event. Verweyst, who has sponsored a few other clubs before, is excited to bring this event to this campus. 

“Senior Tina Ghasedi approached me in the fall about this event. We were able to get planning for our first year this year, but we have high hopes to make this event a new annual tradition here at West High,” Verweyst said.

Dance Marathon may be new to West High, but it has been a part of other schools like Parkway Central High School since 2020 and raised over $38,000 in 2025, bringing an opportunity for West students to help out in their local community. 

“We were just approved for this fundraiser by the district, so we are in full planning mode,” Verweyst said. 

The fundraiser is scheduled for April 11, 2026, and preparations are underway. Students are reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships, creating flyers to promote the event and organizing activities for the night. The committee is also encouraging more students to get involved, whether through planning, outreach or attending the event itself.

One member of the planning committee is freshman Daniah Alsagheer. 

“Being a part of the Dance Marathon committee is a great experience, but [my] [favorite] part would [have to] be the community. I love seeing the passion when it comes to planning and coming to the meetings on Friday, and [I love] how we all want to help. It creates a feeling of fulfillment and power since we aren’t doing this alone,” Alsagheer said.

Alsagheer is still finding time to expand her involvement, and as the club is starting to move forward, she hopes to secure different sponsorships. 

As April approaches, the committee has continued weekly meetings, finalizing dates and sponsorships. As planning progresses, their main goal remains the same: to unite the school community and make a meaningful impact on the children. 

“I love [talking] about this event and giving people something to get excited about, because I know that everyone in our school could contribute to this organization [and help it] be meaningful,” Ghasedi said.