The money is donated to Embrace Kids Foundation, a non-profit that supports non-medical needs of families with children who have cancer and blood disorders. Watch video
NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University's Dance Marathon raised more than $1 million this year, a new record for the event.
The grand total, $1,038,986.13, was unveiled Saturday night, and the money will be donated to Embrace Kids Foundation, a non-profit that supports non-medical needs of families with children who have cancer and blood disorders.
The dance marathon raised $912,000 last year.
"The goal in our minds is always just to break the record. Period," said Rutgers senior Jennifer Noji, the event's marketing director. "That's what we strive for -- more Rutgers and community involvement."
Prior to last year, the dance marathon was a continuous 30-hour party. But student planners broke the event into two back-to-back, 12-hour sessions at the Rutgers Athletic Center to better accommodate the ever-expanding crowd.
This year, the marathon introduced a new color war tradition that grouped dancers into eight different color teams to compete in activities, including tug of war and karaoke contests.
The event is the culmination of a yearlong fundraising campaign.
"What's really cool is the money is not spent on cancer research or to pay medical bills but everything else, like putting gas in somebody's car or paying rent or helping patients pay for school," Noji said. "Our ultimate goal is to try to create a sense of normalcy that has been taken away because of illness."
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.