Ridge High Student's Org. Raises $10K For Children's Hospitals

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Two years ago while volunteering at the children's hospital, Ridge High School student Angelina Xu asked herself what more could be done. She said she felt the emptiness of the hospital as she assisted therapists and doctors with recreational activities, and she saw families struggling to pay medical bills.

Searching for answers, she came across Miracle Network Dance Marathon. The movement, spearheaded by students across North America, raises funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals. By founding a chapter at Ridge High School, Xu initiated the first high school Dance Marathon in New Jersey.

The group has since raised nearly $10,000 though donations, fundraisers and sponsorships.

During last year's holiday season, Xu's club sold more than 300 pounds of cookie dough, ranging from snickerdoodle to white chocolate macadamia. They also sought out business sponsorships from companies such as Panera and Kumon.

Their ultimate goal was an end-of-the-year Dance Marathon. The hours-long even, which as been held at various schools and universities, would feature activities and invite patients' families to share their stories.

The group reached out to many student organizations at Ridge to plan programs and demonstrations at the event, including the International Dance Team, Biomedical Engineering, and Tri-M Music Honors Society.

But their six-hour Dance Marathon planned for May couldn't occur because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Xu continued reaching out to local patients' families. She invited them to Zoom calls so they could share their rehabilitation stories, which inspired Xu to keep fighting.

Throughout the summer, she held more than 10 hours of virtual events, exceeding the originally planned six hours.

To learn more and donate, go to https://dancemarathon.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/.

Watch a video below with more information:

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This article originally appeared on the Basking Ridge Patch