Kathryn
Roy
SUFFIELD
-
The students raised the money
in the annual dance-a-thon held in January; the event was started in 2005 as a
way to donate to worthy charitable causes.
The dance-a-thon started at 10
p.m. and went through the night at the academy’s Brewster Hall. With the help of
a professional disc jockey, students held dance contests, singing contests and
special performances and activities.
“There’s no requirement for how
many hours they have to be on the dance floor, but at any given time,
three-quarters of the students are out on the dance floor,” said Elise Riegel,
one of the organizers of the event.
Riegel, former dean of faculty
and academic dean at Suffield, helped start the dance-a-thon in 2005 with a
group of students. She said they were honored to host Dr. William Petit, who
lost his wife and two daughters in a tragic home invasion and murder at their
home in
“His
comments to the community were both gracious and inspiring,” Riegel said.
“During his live television interview at the dance-a-thon, Dr. Petit spoke about
the goals of the Petit Family Foundation moving forward, and
Riegel said she and her husband
were so inspired by a similar dance-a-thon at
“They were really interested,”
she said. “Ever since, it’s built momentum. Now, it’s a
mainstay in the culture.”
The idea behind the
dance-a-thon is to raise awareness and help students get behind a cause. In the
fall, organizers ask for nominations from students, faculty and alumni for
worthy charitable groups. The nominations are then narrowed down into a group of
finalists.
“Every year we
want to have a diverse slate: some that are local, some that are national or
international, some large and some small,” Riegel said. “The finalists make a
pitch to the faculty and the student body.”
Students research the various
causes and then make their pick. Over the past several years, causes have
focused on poverty remediation, autism, people with disabilities, and cancer
research.
Riegel said
students liked the mission of the Petit Family Foundation.
“They want to raise awareness
about violence, they give to educational initiatives and they give to those
affected by chronic illness,” she said.
Riegel said while the Petit children, Hayley and Michaela, did not attend
“This was a family
much like the families they come from, so it hits very close to home for them,”
she said.
“It’s a huge
community builder,” Riegel said. “The whole community comes together and
celebrates the power of this particular experience. The kids, I think, learn
first-hand that one person can make a difference.”
Over the past eight
dance-thons,
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