Community Corner

Oak Forest Friends Will Dance the Day Away for Charity

A group of friends will put on their dancing shoes and dance for 13 hours—for a good cause at the Chicago Dance Marathon March 2.

People from across the Chicagoland area will break out their dancing shoes and work on their electric slides—all for a good cause.

On March 2, Oak Forest residents Rachael Dunaj and four of her friends, Laura Kolodzinski, Mary Barba, Chrissy Kolodzinski, Melissa Ryan, Marcia Scully will dance for 13.1 hours in an all-day dance marathon for the Chicago Dance Marathon, Dancing for Lurie Children's Hospital.

Each member of the group must raise $500 for the event, and with just over a month to go Dunaj, 25, said the group is already on their way to reaching their $2,500 goal.

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“The money could go towards a bunch of different stuff, like food for the families for the kids that are staying there, for the kids themselves, for research, it could go to a lot of things,” Dunaj said.

This isn't the first time Duanj and her friends have struck out to raise money for charity, she said.

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“Every year, my family tries to raise money for a cause,” she said. “This year, my friend decided to join the dance and I decided to join the cause. It should be a lot of fun.”

While the group of friends might have experience doing walk-a-thons or similar activities, she said this is the first time dancing has come into play. The group is still trying to figure out exactly how they're going to get through the day.

“Honestly, I don't know. One person has to be on the dance floor for 13 hours, but we haven't really discussed it yet,” she said. “We're still trying to figure out costumes and stuff right now. Thirteen hours is a long time.”

As for Duanj herself, she's just worried about one thing: her dance skills.

“I don't know any dance moves,” Dunaj said with a laugh. “I'm just hoping to stay on my feet for the whole 13 hours, that's kind of my personal goal."

More information about the Chicago Dance Marathon, Dancing for Lurie Children's Hopsital, visit the event's website, here.

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