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West Point Cadets Raise More Than $20K For Maria Fareri Children's Hospital

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- The Westchester Medical Center Health Network recently announced that the cadets at West Point have become the fifth group of college students to support Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, through a multi-hour, Dance Marathon.

West Point cadets recently raised more than $20,000 for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

West Point cadets recently raised more than $20,000 for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

Photo Credit: Provided
West Point cadets recently raised more than $20,000 for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

West Point cadets recently raised more than $20,000 for Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

Photo Credit: Provided

The cadets held their inaugural, six-hour, Dance Marathon at West Point event recently at Cullum Hall on the campus of the United States Military Academy and raised $20,217, doubling their original $10,000 goal, according to a release from the Weschester Medical Center.

Dance Marathon at West Point ran from 2 to 8 p.m. and connected hundreds of cadets from across the country with local children who have battled significant medical challenges at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

Dance Marathon is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) program held at dozens of universities and colleges across North America. The cadets at West Point are the first students at a United States service academy to host a Dance Marathon, the release said.

During Dance Marathon events, students bond with former children’s hospital patients through games, structured activities, fundraising efforts and hours of dancing.

“Cadets at West Point are thrilled to join the growing list of students supporting the advanced care provided to seriously ill and injured children at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital,’’ said Meredith Buono Dagrossa, manager of marketing and community relations at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. “Dance Marathon is more than a fundraiser. It is an incredibly moving, high- energy event where students, the community and children who benefited from lifesaving and life-changing care come together, along with their families, to support the hospital.’’

The cadet volunteers joined students at Iona College, Mount Saint Mary College, Pace University and the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz as organizers of Dance Marathon events supporting Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

So far this academic year, Pace University students hosted their fourth Pace4Kids Dance Marathon, and Iona College students held their third IonaTHON event.

Together, Pace and Iona students raised nearly $40,000 for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, according to the release.

SUNY New Paltz and Mount Saint Mary College will hold their second annual Dance Marathon events this spring.

Collectively, Dance Marathon events have raised more than $170,000 for the care of seriously ill and injured children at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital since 2013, the release said.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is the children’s hospital for New York’s Hudson Valley region and Fairfield County, Conn. Located in Valhalla, this 136-bed advanced pediatrics facility cares for the region’s most seriously ill and injured children. 

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