Washington University in St. Louis
president@dm.wustl.edu

About DM

Washington University Dance Marathon, or WUDM, is a student-run organization that is part of a network across North America that unites college and high school students to raise funds and awareness for more than 170 pediatric hospitals. WUDM raises money for Children’s Miracle Network of Greater St. Louis. In accordance with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals core philosophy, all the money raised through DM stays in the St. Louis area, and is equally divided between our two outstanding pediatric institutions: St. Louis Children’s Hospital and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Saint Louis Children’s Hospital was founded in 1879. Though centered in Saint Louis, SLCH has served patients from all 50 states and 80 countries around the world, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. It is also recognized as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma center. Funds from CMN St. Louis efforts, such as Dance Marathon, have helped establish and maintain many programs at SLCH such as:
  • 36 bed PICU/NICU
  • Healthy Kids Express bus
  • Music therapy
  • Clown docs
  • Child Life Services programs

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital was founded in 1956. It is named for St. Louis’s Archbishop, John Cardinal Glennon, whose dream was to see a healthcare facility open to all children in need of medical care regardless of their ability to pay. It serves the Saint Louis community as a Level 1 Trauma center. Each year, Cardinal Glennon counts on the funds from CMN St. Louis to support invaluable treatment facilities, such as the:
  • Bob Costas Cancer Center
  • Cardiac-Catheterization Hybridization Lab
  • Knights of Columbus Developmental Center
  • NICU/PICU
  • Child Life Services programs
In 1991, students at Indiana University founded dance marathon in the memory of Ryan White, a fellow student who passed away from HIV/AIDS. Since 1991, over $200 million has been raised for kids all across North America. The St. Louis Area Dance Marathon was founded by Pankaj Sharma in 1999, and in entering its 15th event, was renamed Dance Marathon at Washington University in Saint Louis. The fundraising total for the year is revealed at Dance Marathon’s main event in November, a 12 hour dance-a-thon where students from WashU, local high schools, and the Saint Louis community stand for those who can’t.  In 2018, WUDM will be celebrating its 20th year on campus, and has now been renamed again to Washington University Dance Marathon, or WUDM. Since 1999, the program has raised more than $1.7 million.