Northwestern Students Dance 30 Hours Straight to Feed Children

EVANSTON, IL - More than 1,000 Northwestern University students took part in the school's 42nd Dance Marathon, which raises funds and awareness for Blessings in a Backpack this past weekend.

Dancing for 30 consecutive hours, this year's donation of more than $920,000 was the largest one-time donation in the history of the non-profit, which "mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America."

The Northwestern University Dance Marathon is the largest entirely student run philanthropy in the nation, according to a school news release. Students selected spend the year building a relationship between the University, the student body and Blessings in a Backpack. This year, Northwestern students spent 830 hours volunteering and packed more than 12,000 backpacks of food for Evanston elementary school students.

Blessings in a Backpack currently provides nearly 3 million hunger free weekends to 85,000 children in 45 states and the District of Columbia.