About 100 students boogied to the rhythms of dance music Saturday for the third annual GW Dance Marathon. Raising $8,600 for the Children’s Hospital in Northeast D.C., participants danced from noon until midnight in the Hippodrome.

Dancers, as well as supporters and children who will benefit from the funds, enjoyed free food, games, karaoke and pool throughout the day. Organizers taught participants a new dance step each hour so they could perform a full dance together at the end of the evening.

Though the majority of the dancers were members of the Greek-letter community, several other students and all members of the 2003 Colonial Cabinet attended.

Senior Jordan Usdan, administration committee chair, had the idea for a GW dance marathon during his freshman year as Student Association community service chair.

“At first, I thought it would be a Greek-only event … but I didn’t want to limit the potential money that we could make for our charity,” Usdan said. “We are very proud of the fact that we are the largest student-run charity event at GW.”

Dancers had to either raise $150 prior to the event or bring 15 addresses to which organizers could send donation requests. Usdan said he anticipates reaching the $10,000 mark after 300 letters are sent out for donation requests.

Kelly O’Neill, a Children’s Hospital representative who acts as a liaison between the GW Dance Marathon and the hospital, said the money earned goes toward the Kids Cure Fund. The fund goes to help refurbish and modernize the Children’s Hospital and helps to pay its everyday expenses.

“The kids really enjoy coming out to the Dance Marathon and hanging out with the students who run it because they look up to and admire them,” O’Neill said.

The Children’s Hospital provides medical care regardless of the patient’s family’s ability to pay.

Greek-letter groups represented at the marathon included the Delta Gamma and Sigma Kappa sororities and the Kappa Sigma and Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternities.

Sophomore Kirk Williamson, who is pledging Tau Kappa Epsilon, said the marathon was an excellent chance to get involved with community service on campus, and that GW should promote more events like Saturday’s.

“I believe in giving back, and (for) this cause especially,” Williamson said. “I think that GW could do more to publicize charity events and give back a little more to the community.”