University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dance Marathon Hosts Pickleball Tournament to Kick Off Fundraising Season
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dance Marathon Hosts Pickleball Tournament to Kick Off Fundraising Season
In a surprising twist from its usual block party, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dance Marathon decided to host a pickleball tournament to kick off its 2024-25 school year. Dance Marathon, a national philanthropic organization dedicated to raising money for Children’s Hospitals nationwide, is one of the largest student-registered groups on campus with multiple fundraisers every year.
Senior child, youth, and family studies major Addy Timmerman, the executive director for Dance Marathon, explained the decision to switch things up this year. “We always have an event at this time, and it hasn’t been the most successful thing the last couple of years, so we decided to change it up a little,” Timmerman said. The organization hoped that the rising popularity of pickleball would attract new faces to the event.
Fifty-six doubles teams made up of Dance Marathon organization members, pickleball club members, and students competed in a bracket-style competition to raise money for the fundraiser. Many onlookers from the surrounding dorms also came to watch the games unfold. For many students, this was their first introduction to Dance Marathon.
Freshman mechanical engineering major Carter Bousquet participated in the competition with his partner Jesse Droescher. “We heard it was for a good cause, and we played a little pickleball at home,” Bousquet said. “There’s just a good atmosphere here.”
Senior elementary education major and Vice President of Programming for Dance Marathon, Ella Jepsen, shared her passion for the organization. “All of the hours I have spent throughout the years, just to see the smiles on their faces, it’s worth it,” Jepsen said. “There are so many kids that have been impacted by the hospital, so it is really cool to give back what they give to us.”
Photos of the patients at the Omaha Children’s Hospital, who will benefit from the funds raised, lined the fences of the courts, allowing every participant to see the kids that the tournament supports. Each child has a unique story and different needs from the organization.
One of the Dance Marathon Miracle Kids, Willa Gardener, shared her experience with the organization. Born with VACTERL association, Gardener has had over 15 surgeries since she was a baby. Dance Marathon continues to support her by funding the rooms she uses at the Omaha Children’s Hospital. “They care about my story but not in a way that minimizes me or any other kid,” Gardener said. “They acknowledge it, but they show that we aren’t that different from any other kid.”
Veronica Riepe, the director of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement, and the Dance Marathon advisor, expressed her excitement about the success of the pickleball event. “Dance Marathon is a very amazing, very selfless organization; it’s all about benefiting the Children’s Hospital in Omaha,” Riepe said. “I think that events like this that are fun really give the people involved the chance to educate people about their mission. You know this is fun, but your money is going to benefit the children’s hospital, and that is truly the goal.”
Overall, the pickleball tournament was a fun and successful way for Dance Marathon to kick off its fundraising season and continue its mission of supporting children’s hospitals.
