On Friday, September 22nd, University of Iowa Dance Marathon families, dancers, and leadership members gathered at Lower City Park to participate in one of the most vital parts of the organization: honoring the memories of those who have lost their battles with pediatric cancer.
These kiddos are referred to, in UIDM jargon, as Dancing in Our Hearts (DIH) kiddos. The DIH Memorial Walk was organized and made possible by the Family Relations/Hospital Committee of DM leadership, led by directors Riley Coyle and Benjamin Linden. This is the event’s second year, and it is quickly growing into one of the most special and most cherished.
The memorial walk was a mile-long route along which paper bags, with candles inside, were placed, each bearing the name of a child who has passed away from pediatric cancer. The sheer number of bags was staggering, reminding us why the work done every day by Dance Marathon and UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is so essential. The walk ended in the Lower City Park pavilion, which was set up in a way that echoed the Dancing in Our Hearts room at the Big Event each year. Participants were able to take some time to read the stories of DIH kiddos and light candles in their memory before all gathering together to hear family members share some words.
The event ended with a beautiful and sentimental moment: family members of DIH kiddos were given white balloons to release into the late evening sky in memory of their lost loved ones. A truly honest, raw, and special place was created at the Dancing in Our Hearts Memorial Walk. The event made it clear that we cannot slow our fight, and that DIH kiddos are never, ever forgotten.
At the DIH Walk, Rachel Green did our first podcast. Listen below:
UI Dance Marathon 