Ball State Dance Marathon Turns Student Leadership Into Lasting Impact for Riley Children
Ball State University Dance Marathon (BSUDM) is a student organization raising funds and awareness for Riley Hospital for Children through Riley Children’s Foundation. BSUDM is part of the Children’s Miracle Network nationwide Dance Marathon initiative. The 2026 fundraising total was $281,736.26, bringing the organization’s all-time total to more than $6 million since its founding in 2003. To learn more, or to donate, visit bsudm.org
Ball State University Dance Marathon raised $281,736.26 in 2026 as students built leadership skills, community, and year-round support for Riley Hospital for Children.
As “I Lived” by OneRepublic filled the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center, the energy in the room tightened. Every eye locked on the stage as the moment built.
Onstage, the executive board of Ball State University Dance Marathon (BSUDM) stood in a line. One by one, members raised whiteboards, slowly revealing the total, number by number, as the song played. As each board lifted, the anticipation grew.
Then came the final total: $281,736.26.
The release was immediate. The room surged with emotion as students embraced, some shouting with joy and others crying as the magnitude settled in.
“Every single thing that we do all year long builds up to this moment,” said Macie Morehouse, ’26 (inset), who earned her bachelor’s degree in life science education and served as president of BSUDM for 2026. “Even now, I still can’t fully fathom what we accomplished together.”
That moment is the culmination of a year’s work. But it is only the most visible part of something much larger.
A Student-Led Tradition with Statewide Reach
Ball State University Dance Marathon was founded in 2003 by the local chapters of Phi Mu and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, whose philanthropic efforts supported Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) and, locally, Riley Hospital for Children. What began as a single event grew into a student organization that expanded steadily until the COVID-19 pandemic required a period of rebuilding.
“It took a really long time to bounce back and redefine what Dance Marathon looked like post-COVID,” Ms. Morehouse said. “But we did bounce back. And based on the growth this year, we’re clearly doing something right.”
Members of the Ball State University Dance Marathon executive board reveal the 2026 fundraising total of $281,736.26 during the annual marathon at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Today, BSUDM is part of the nationwide Dance Marathon initiative through CMN, raising funds and awareness for Riley Hospital for Children through Riley Children’s Foundation. In 2025, Ball State’s program ranked 19th nationally among more than 400 Dance Marathon programs. In 2026, BSUDM united almost 350 students and drew more than 480 attendees. Since its founding, the Ball State student organization has raised more than $6 million.
Funds raised support two specific priorities at Riley: the palliative care team and the Magic Castle Cart, a program that delivers toys and comfort items directly to patients.
Mia Miller, youth philanthropy program coordinator at Riley Children’s Foundation, said BSUDM’s support is felt by patients and families throughout the year. The Magic Castle Cart, she said, delivers something that no medical treatment can.
“For kids who are going through difficult treatments or long hospital stays, these small moments of fun can provide comfort, hope, and a sense of being a kid again,” Ms. Miller said.
A Year Built on Intentional Focus
If there was a defining idea for BSUDM in 2026, Ms. Morehouse said it was intentionality.
“We were making sure that we weren’t doing anything just because that’s the way it’s been done in the past,” Ms. Morehouse said. “We tried a lot of new things this year—and they all paid off.”
That focus shaped decisions across the organization, from leadership structure to event planning. Megan Moshak, ’26 (inset), who earned her degree in speech-language pathology this Spring and served as BSUDM’s vice president of internal affairs, coordinated the marathon’s programming in five-minute increments.
The 2026 marathon featured Spirit Hour, a lip sync competition in which student teams competed for crowd votes; Adventure Hour, a new addition that invited attendees to choose their own activities; and Power Hour, a dedicated fundraising push. The event also offered free food, games, and programming designed to bring students together around a shared cause.
That intentional approach extended throughout the year. Events including Back to School Bash, Monster Mash for Miracles, One Day for Change, and the annual Week of Miracles built engagement and momentum leading up to the marathon.
“Growth comes with change,” Ms. Morehouse said. “You can’t stay stagnant in your decision-making and expect things to keep growing.”
For many students, involvement in BSUDM becomes a defining part of their college experience.
Ms. Morehouse said she “didn’t even know what Dance Marathon was” before arriving at Ball State. A friend recruited her as a first-year committee member, and she said she fell in love with the organization almost immediately.
“For me, it wasn’t choosing to take on a leadership role—there wasn’t a choice,” she said. “It chose me.”
BSUDM draws students from across campus, including academic colleges and student organizations. Together, they raise funds and awareness for children and families served by Riley Hospital for Children.
“This is a home,” Ms. Morehouse said. “Everyone comes to college trying to find where they belong. Riley gives people that common ground.”
Ms. Moshak had participated in Dance Marathon since high school and described her involvement at Ball State as a continuation of something that had already shaped her.
“It was a way for me to give back to something that has given me so much in my life,” she said. “That has felt like my whole purpose here.”
Little Wonders
Near the end of each marathon, participants gather for a tradition known as Little Wonders.
Each attendee wears a hospital bracelet, symbolizing the children treated at Riley. During the closing ceremony, the bracelets are removed and replaced with a small gold puzzle-piece pin.
“We cut off the bracelets to symbolize all of the kids who have been able to walk out of the hospital because of the work that we do,” Ms. Morehouse said. “And then we give them a gold puzzle-piece pin so that they have something to remember that every single one of them is such a unique piece of our puzzle.”
As the ceremony unfolds, the song “Little Wonders” plays, underscoring the moment’s meaning.
“It’s not just about the big events and the flashy moments and the fundraising numbers,” Ms. Morehouse said. “Those are incredible and amazing—but it’s also about the meetings and the other little things, the typing up scripts and printing papers. Every single little piece adds up, and they are all a part of the puzzle. It may be little moments, but they really encapsulate the home that BSUDM is for people.”
Ms. Moshak described the atmosphere during the ceremony as one of connection and unity.
“There’s this energy, this atmosphere that you’re home,” Ms. Moshak said. “You’re in a place where you’re loved and valued and appreciated, no matter the fundraising, no matter anything. You’re loved in that moment.”
Members of the Ball State University Dance Marathon executive board reveal the 2026 fundraising total of $281,736.26 during the annual marathon at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Leadership in Action
Leading up to each marathon is a year of planning and collaboration.
BSUDM is led by a presidential board of five students, supported by an executive board of 13 directors and committees that manage everything from student relations and merchandise to content creation and event logistics. The organization is advised by two Ball State professional staff members, graduate assistants, and partners from Riley Children’s Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network.
Leaders meet regularly to coordinate efforts and maintain alignment across teams.
“At one point, I counted 36 Dance Marathon meetings in one week,” Ms. Morehouse said. “That sounds like a lot—but it’s also 36 times I got to connect with people and laugh that week.”
Ms. Moshak said her role required holding the biggest goal and the smallest detail at the same time, programming the marathon in five-minute increments while never losing sight of the mission.
“Dance Marathon teaches you skills you didn’t even know were a necessity to go through life,” Ms. Moshak said. “There are so many hidden little wonders you find along the way.”
The organization also emphasizes balance and well-being.
“We say that you are a person first, a student second, and in Dance Marathon third,” Ms. Morehouse said. “I can honestly say the person that I am now is entirely different than the person I was three years ago—and so much of that is because of BSUDM.”
Looking Ahead
As BSUDM continues to grow, its leaders remain focused on expanding participation, strengthening connections, and sustaining impact. The organization partners with eight high schools across five counties to extend its reach and build future involvement.
For Ms. Morehouse, the mission has never been defined by scale. It has always been about reaching those who will answer the call.
“Whether it’s three people sitting in a room or 500 people at an event, whether it’s one teddy bear or $281,000, we are trying to do everything we can to unite people around the idea that they can change something,” she said.
For the students involved, the experience creates something lasting through relationships, skills, and shared purpose.
Ms. Moshak said she hopes participants remember BSUDM as a place of support and belonging.
“I hope people remember that this is a place of love, where people can be who they are,” Ms. Moshak said. “They are a piece of the puzzle. They make up a home. And they are valued more than any pin or number or word could ever explain.
