Elonthon, Elon's largest philanthropic event, took place over April 4 and 5 in Alumni Gym. Hundreds of students participated, some standing for six-hour shifts and others for the entire 24 hours.
Participants had a number of ways to "go wild" for the kids, keeping with this year's "Go Wild" theme. From constant music to appearances by the dance, basketball and cheerleading teams, students were entertained for the full 24 hours. But most importantly, 22 Miracle Families took the stage to share their experiences at Duke Children's Hospital, the beneficiary of Elonthon. Miracle Child Clare Maher was among them.
"Thankfully I didn't have to have open heart surgery because Duke is such a great facility," she said, "And everything you guys are doing, we're really thankful for."
Just being at Elonthon means a lot to the Miracle Children, according to Miracle Child Hannah Headen.
"Elonthon means to me a whole bunch," Headen said. "Everything these people do really hits home. They help a lot of people at Duke Children's Hospital and just being there all the time, I really thank everyone for doing this. They will never know how much it means to me and a lot of people."
During the second shift, participants were entertained by student group Knockout Perez, followed by a rave hour to round out the early morning. In the third shift, 24 hour dancers were given the opportunity to take a break and jump in Belk Pool. Elonthon Executive Director Liz Jester said the event has impacted her Elon experience greatly.
"It's put a lot of things in perspective," Jester said. "And I think it's also given me some of my very best friends and some of the most inspiring people I've gotten to work with. Getting to work with so many people who care about the same cause I care about is just really inspiring and has shaped my Elon experience."
Dancers also heard from Elon graduate Steve Wagner who participated in Elonthon as a student. Wagner met Mason Lindley, Elonthon's first Miracle Child, during his time as a student. Elonthon and Lindley had such a lasting impact on Wagner that he named his young son Mason.
During the last shift, a number of the Miracle Children took the stage to provide entertainment for the end of Elonthon. At the end of the 24 hours, the Elonthon executive committee revealed the total: $176,216 for the kids.