The concept of a dance marathon began in the 1920’s and 1930’s, as a controversial form of entertainment during the Great Depression. With handsome rewards for the couples that danced the longest, these events attracted hard-pressed Americans. Today, dance marathons still raise money, but they do so as fundraising events, dedicated to raising funds for their respective beneficiaries.

2005, 2006: Stanford Dance Marathon was founded by a pair of highly motivated students looking to raise money and awareness to combat HIV/AIDS. In the first two years, the event’s funds benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

2007: DM was met with great enthusiasm by the campus, and as the event grew, both a new venue and beneficiary were chosen in 2007. That year 100% of the money raised went to Partners in Health (PIH) and their work in comprehensive healthcare in Rwanda.

2008: DM partnership with FACE AIDS, a national non-profit dedicated to mobilizing and inspiring students to fight AIDS in Africa by building a broad-based movement of students seeking global health equality. Through private donations and the incredible fundraising efforts of its staff, FACE AIDS has matched all the funds raised for PIH by Stanford DM since 2008. Since then, Stanford DM has raised over half a million dollars and has become the largest student run philanthropy in the Bay Area.

2009: In an innovative twist on the beneficiary, Stanford DM allotted 10% of its raised funds to a local beneficiary, Ellipse, an organization focused on the HIV community in the San Mateo area. 2009 also saw the beginning of Hack-a-Thon, an event that merged public service with computer programming, to create a unique opportunity for a wider range of students to get involved

Stanford Dance Marathon continues to grow every year, and looks to find new ways to encourage both the campus and surrounding communities to fight for public health.