Trojan Dance Marathon imparts lessons in generosity

With the classic Tears for Fears tune “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” blasting through the audio system, 9-year-old Elliot Fletcher sprinted into Saturday’s Trojan Dance Marathon fundraising celebration.

The lively second grader was welcomed, pep-rally style, by a “spirit tunnel” of enthusiastic Trojans lining both sides, including USC President Carol Folt.

A heart transplant recipient from seven years ago, Elliot Fletcher stands as a testament to the life-saving efforts of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. For nearly a century, USC has collaborated with CHLA, whose doctors are also faculty members at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

By the conclusion of the motivating six-hour event, themed “Treasured Little Things” and taking place within Tommy’s Place on the USC University Park Campus, USC students had amassed $33,299 for the hospital. This event has now been held for three consecutive years since it was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As you can observe, Elliot is flourishing,” his mother, Raquel Fletcher, expressed to the assembly of USC students, CHLA patients, and their families. “He continues to visit his transplant clinic appointments every three months, but his heart is in remarkable shape. He is extraordinary.”

The Fletchers were among five CHLA families present to narrate their inspiring experiences at the event, which also featured live musical acts, a limbo contest, a hula hoop challenge, and a lip-sync battle.

“Every effort you make to contribute funds for this nonprofit hospital is significant,” Raquel Fletcher stated. “It’s ensuring a better future for children, making certain they receive the highest quality care possible.”

Another thankful CHLA parent, Tyler Kelly, revealed that his 8-year-old son, Pierce, was diagnosed with leukemia at just 22 months. The boy underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant at CHLA and now only visits the hospital annually for a checkup.

“It’s an incredible hospital that does not deny service to anyone,” Tyler Kelly commented from the event stage. “Anyone can walk through those doors and receive world-class treatment. Thank you for your contributions.”

The funds raised assist in providing care and enhancing the hospital experience for children by offering services like art and music therapy.

Calling for contributions

In between activities, emcees urged marathon participants to download a specially created app for the event and reach out — right then — to their social circles to ask for donations to CHLA. Donations made through the app were promptly added to that day’s fundraising total.

Folt joined in on the challenge, announcing her personal contribution of $2,025 in honor of the class of 2025.

“I love this event — it’s amazing,” Folt remarked. “I’m feeling inspired.” 

Students dedicated to the mission

Co-emcee Giulio Morini Bianzino, a junior at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, explained to his fellow Trojans the significance behind the theme “Treasured Little Things.”

“It serves as a reminder for us to persist in advocating for each individual medical advancement, each child’s healing, and the small victories in a child’s medical journey,” Bianzino explained. “We aim to spotlight all the minor aspects that brighten each day.”

For Ruby Perlman, the Executive Director of Trojan Dance Marathon and a senior in USC’s innovative degree program concurrently pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the USC Marshall School of Business, the mission bears profound personal significance.

Perlman received treatment at CHLA during her youth, grappling with severe asthma and allergic reactions to medications. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to give back to that community,” Perlman shared in an interview during the event.

A nationwide movement

USC’s Trojan Dance Marathon is more than just an event — it’s a student organization on campus with a 15-member executive board and 130 members dedicated to raising funds and promoting awareness for CHLA throughout the year.

Dance marathon organizations on college campuses across the nation have a rich tradition of supporting children’s hospitals since the 1990s and are part of the Children’s Miracle Network, which includes CHLA, explained Scotty Pruitt, senior associate director of corporate partnerships for the hospital.

“We cater to the most critically ill children, and as a safety-net hospital, over 70% of our patients are underinsured,” Pruitt elaborated. “We simplify access to care and enable all these children to lead normal, successful lives.”

Senior Constantine Tripodes from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the other co-emcee on Saturday, mentioned offstage how excited he was to make such a tangible impact in the local community.

“You can truly sense the difference, observe the difference, and engage with the families,” Tripodes noted. “And it’s for a hospital located right in our community.”