DePaul University comes together to support the cause

Sophomore Parin Sensenbrenner, morale director of DemonTHON, shimmied on the dance floor in a rainbow tutu with her fellow DemonTHON supporters. Under the glow of the lights, the dancers looked effervescent while children from the hospital ran around the event, smiling as their laughter filled the ballroom. A quilt stitched with the words “forever dancing in our hearts” hung above the room to serve as a reminder to participants of the night’s true purpose.

DePaul students dance at the DemonTHON in the DePaul Student Center, on April 1. Photo by Michelle Edwards, 14 East

At the event, participants split into different teams for each Miracle kid. Each one consisted of a morale captain and other members dressed up in team colors and wacky accessories adorned in the effort to make children smile. 

“I think DemonTHON is my favorite part of my college experience. I do so many things that I love but this, I will put over everything. It’s my favorite thing,” said Sensenbrenner. “It’s an [organization] where you actually get to make a difference, and you and everybody here wants to make a difference, and it’s just the best. The best place I could ever imagine.” 

Sensenbrenner’s position involved choreographing a 10-minute-long dance for each of the 12 hours of the marathon alongside the other morale captains. The dances were choreographed to a mash-up of songs chosen by the Miracle Children at Lurie’s, including the Bluey theme song, Justin Bieber’s “Somebody to Love” and “We Are the Dinosaurs” by the Laurie Berkner Band. 

Left: Parin Sensenbrenner dances in the middle of the floor at the DemonTHON in the DePaul Student Center, on April 1.
Right: Sensenbrenner teaches the morale dance choreography to marathon participants at the DePaul Student Center, on April 1. Photos by Michelle Edwards, 14 East

Freshman Jeff Liggett, a morale captain, shared why he joined DemonTHON. 

“I was looking for a club to join where I can actually make a difference and do something worthwhile. And DemonTHON was perfect,” Ligget said. “I mean, everyone in the clubs worked so hard, and it’s amazing to see it all come together and how much money we can raise.”

Event Logistics Coordinator Giselle Brambila-Olazaba joined DemonTHON in January, jumping in immediately to start planning for the “Big Event.” 

“Just being able to provide that experience for them of this sense of just having fun … seeing that smile on their face, and they’re happy is everything to me,” Brambila-Olazaba said

Jack McPherson supported the charity event on behalf of Grant Thornton, an accounting firm sponsoring the event. 

“I felt the need to come help out at this event because I feel like I’m just involved with a lot that’s going on here. I went to DePaul, I graduated last year. I work at Grant Thornton, obviously,” McPherson said. “And I actually had an extended stay at Lurie’s for a little bit, too.” 

Junior Clara Kuhlman, who worked at a caricature event for DemonTHON, attended the event. 

“I’ve always heard of it as like a really fun, you know, obviously big event. So I was always kind of curious about what it was,” said Kuhlman. “And it was for like, charity and everything, but I wasn’t really brought into it that much until my friend Natalie [introduced it to me].”

DemonTHON participants learn the morale dance choreography at the DePaul Student Center, on April 1. The participants do the choreography throughout the 12-hour marathon. Photo by Michelle Edwards, 14 East

Members of DePaul’s chapter of Phi Mu danced in full force. 

“Our philanthropy is Lurie Children’s and children’s hospital networks,” Phi Mu member Victoria Wisniewska said. “So we wanted to be able to support another thing on campus that will be a sponsor to Lurie’s.”

Along with DemonTHON’s Big Event, Radio DePaul hosted the Rock the Clock fundraiser for the 12th consecutive year. Rock the Clock is a 48-hour-long broadcast that donates all of its proceeds to DemonTHON. 

Over the 12 years DemonTHON has been operating, they have raised a grand total of $2,072,962.03. The Big Event was the last event of the year, but DemonTHON will continue next year. If you are interested in joining, check out the DemonTHON website and their booth at the Involvement Fair in the fall. 

Header Illustration by Yu Yu Zander