Saint Andrew’s Dance Marathon Breaks School Record

Scots students, faculty, staff, and special guests danced the night away at the sixth annual Saint Andrew’s Dance Marathon (SADM) on Friday, February 9, in Mariani Great Hall. 

Dance Marathon is a national movement benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals across North America. Saint Andrew’s has had a Dance Marathon club since 2018. Funds raised by Saint Andrew's go directly to support the Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Coral Gables, FL.

At the end of the evening, the students added up the funds that had been collected and were thrilled to have set a new school record by raising $33,775.15. Once all of the funds raised through the donor drives, bake sales, t-shirt sales, event sales, and sponsorships were added in SADM surpassed its goal of $35,00 and raised a grand total of $36,060.01! 

SADM’s co-overalls include Isabel Assif ’24, Sophie Bogen ’24, and Alex Duros ’24. The club’s faculty advisor, Ms. Zingarelli, noted that these three students, who have been club members all four years of Upper School, have impressively led the club and this event for the last two years. The co-overalls were supported by fellow students who held various roles on different committees. Each committee was assigned different responsibilities such as getting sponsorships, working on social media, and engaging with other members of the SA community. This year SADM’s collegiate partner was Florida Atlantic University which holds their own Dance Marathon called OwlThon in March. Members of FAU’s Dance Marathon club attended and volunteered last Friday evening. 

While there was plenty of dancing that occurred, the event also featured fun games and activities including Jenga, ping-pong, donut-on-a-string, a marriage booth, and other fundraising opportunities. Each time $25 was raised a member of the club had the chance to hit a gong set up on the stage. Some of the more heartwarming moments involved Zoom calls with families being helped by the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Coral Gables, FL.

Alex Duros, one of the three co-overalls of SADM, was thrilled about the outcome of this year’s Dance Marathon. 

“It felt amazing to break our school record. Throughout the week leading up to the event, I didn’t think we were going to come anywhere close. But towards the end of the event, the hospital advisors kept giving hints that we were close to a big goal. Once we raised the final numbers, I was in shock. All of our hard work paid off.” 

Saint Andrew’s earned another distinction this year thanks to Pilar Page ’26. Out of 30 collegiate and high school programs that support the Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Pilar was named the overall top fundraiser with a total of $4,300 in her donor drive.

“I am so very proud of these particular leaders and my heart is full knowing that we have positively impacted the lives of children who need life-saving medical attention in South Florida,” said Ms. Zingarelli. “Our results are due to a collective community school effort that touched the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School. I have never been more proud to be a Scot.”