TigerTHON brings miracles to campus

By Phaedran Linger ’22 on April 7, 2022

Twenty TU students came together to make the university’s 20th-annual TigerTHON happen.

TigerTHON, the 12-hour, on-campus dance marathon, will be on April 9, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Burdick Hall.

The TigerTHON board has been preparing for the event since May of 2021. 

“My team has worked so hard this year, and I know the event will be beyond special,” says Allison Watson, the board’s executive director.

This year, the board’s goal is $150,000, and they have already reached their goal of 1,000 participants. In the last three years, the program has raised more than $350,000 for children at Johns Hopkins. 

When Watson was a freshman, she wanted to get involved on campus and in the local community. At the Involvement Fair, she learned about TigerTHON and joined. She’s been involved ever since.

“TigerTHON has been such a big part of my college experience, and it's so special to me that I’m serving as the executive director my last year at Towson,” she says. “I am extremely passionate about the cause it supports, and my biggest goal is to see the success of this organization.”

TigerTHON raises funds for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, through the nonprofit Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. There are more than 400 Miracle Network Dance Marathon programs across the U.S., and TigerTHON is a participating branch.

All funds raised at the event help local families. They go toward research, treatment and child-life efforts intended to limit the burden on the families and children who are treated at Hopkins. 

“[The money raised helps buy] things like toys, craft items, blankets and other items that allow kids to just be kids,” Watson says.

The event is 12 hours long as participants are asked to stand in honor of the nurses at Hopkins who work 12-hour shifts on their feet. There is dancing as well as games and activities and food and treats, such as coffee and cookies courtesy of TigerTHON’s corporate sponsors.

Participants come from different organizations on campus that work in teams to fundraise and attend the event. They include fraternity and sorority life, student organizations and performing groups. This year, there are 36 teams participating. 

Watson says the most rewarding part of the event is meeting the children they’ve helped. Every year, participating campus organizations are paired with a Miracle Child, who are previous patients of Johns Hopkins. Participants directly see the impact of their hard work and fundraising.

“The most special part of our event is sharing time with our Miracle Children.  They and their families join us to share their story and give a different perspective on the impact our event has on the kids treated there.” says Watson.

To learn more about TigerTHON, check out the organization page. To donate, visit the event’s donation page.