Dance Dash 5K to benefit WVU Children’s Hospital

To be held Saturday, Nov. 8 at Mylan Park in Morgantown

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – On Saturday, Nov. 8, kids and adults across West Virginia and the surrounding region will gather in Morgantown to don their running shoes and dancing gear for a Dance Dash, unifying the community to dance a little and dash a little, all to raise funds for the Cure Kids Cancer Fund at WVU Children’s Hospital, the state’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.    

This unique, high-energy event, created exclusively for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, is a 5K that challenges participants to not only walk or run a 5K course but also learn a few dance moves along the way.

Each kilometer, participants will pause to learn a dance — whether a swing dance, country line dance, hip-hop routine, or some other style. Dance steps will be taught by kids and adults from the local community, and, at the end, participants will put them all together for a large flash-mob dance party.

“We’re thrilled to continue this event concept to Morgantown, W.Va., with the goal of expanding to more cities across North America,” said John Lauck, president and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Dance Dash is not only incredibly entertaining for the whole family, but it also gives the community a great opportunity to support the charitable needs of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.”

The Dance Dash 5K will begin with packet pick up at 9 a.m. Patient families impacted by WVU Children’s Hospital will be leading the way. Participants can earn fun, event-themed accessories by fundraising for WVU Children’s. An indoor carnival will be held at the Ruby Community Center immediately following the Dash for all registered participants.

Registration is now open at www.DanceDash.org, and sponsorship opportunities are also available. Early bird registration -- $25 for adults and $10 for children under 12 – ends Oct. 25. After that date, the cost will increase to $35 for adults and $15 for kids.

About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment, and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity’s Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children’s hospitals need community support, and learn about your member hospital, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.

About WVU Children’s Hospital
WVU Children’s Hospital – located on the sixth floor of Ruby Memorial, WVU Healthcare’s flagship hospital – provides maternal, infant and pediatric care for West Virginia and the surrounding region, giving care to high-risk mothers, premature infants and children with life-threatening conditions through adolescence to adulthood. For information on WVU Children’s Hospital, see www.wvukids.com.