Earlier this year, Verona High School junior Nikita Joshi unveiled plans for a 14-hour dance marathon to raise money for children with autism. She set herself a goal of $20,000, which was ambitious for a fundraiser that had never been tried at the high school level.
More than 40 VHS students signed up to dance from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. in three-hour blocks, and got pledges for their efforts.
After the last of the student dancers had left the VHS gym this past Saturday, Joshi totaled up the earnings and discovered that she had not only met her goal, but exceeded it. The dance marathon raised $21,900.84, which will be donated to Autism Speaks, a national non-profit dedicated to funding autism, increasing awareness of autism and advocating for individuals with autism and their families.
And thanks to the many Verona HS teachers and staff who donated their time to coordinate and chaperone!
Congrats to Nikita Joshi and Sarah Conboy!! Wow!!! 21,000!! How did you raise so much in such a short amount of time? Please tell us.
Very,very impressive!