Shorewood's Grace Zukowski helps raise $2.8 million for Hospital

IOWA CITY, IA — Grace Zukowski of Shorewood was one of more than 2,800 University of Iowa students who participated in the 26th-annual student-led Dance Marathon, which raised more than $2.8 million for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

The exact amount raised by Dance Marathon participants over the past year and announced at the student organization's annual "Big Event" was $2,879,755.26, a total which pushed the amount of support generated by Dance Marathon over the course of its history to more than $30 million.

Dance Marathon's "Big Event" is the celebration of UI students' year-round dedication to the children and families who have received treatment at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. Dancers and Dance Marathon leadership fundraise for 365 days to reach their individual fundraising goal.

Together, dancers, Dance Marathon leadership members, and volunteers remained standing from 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7 to Saturday, Feb. 8 to symbolize their support for the fight against pediatric cancer.

Dance Marathon works to create projects to provide emotional and financial support to families treated at the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital with an emphasis on pediatric cancer and bone marrow transplant patients.

See photos from this year's dance marathon here.