Carly Buchman Watts was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2008, just weeks before the end of Spring Semester. Watts, a senior in political science, finished chemotherapy treatments in November, having spent 68 days in the hospital to avoid infection.
Now, she will help other cancer patients by kicking off the third annual Rock the U Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
“You never know who’s going to get cancer, and we just need to figure out how to stop it,” Watts said.
Kirsten Engelby, the director of this year’s marathon, said the event is in honor of Watts.
The marathon, run by the Associated Students of the University of Utah, will begin Friday afternoon in the Union Ballroom and will continue non-stop for 26.2 hours. Participants will dance, play games and eat to help support cancer research.
After Watts’ introduction, the morale crew, a group of students assigned to keeping dancers motivated through the event, will perform a 10-minute long line dance to several songs edited and mashed together. All participants will learn the dance in segments throughout the event, and everyone will perform the entire dance at the marathon’s conclusion.
Watts participated in the morale crew of the first Rock the U marathon in 2007, more than a year before being diagnosed with cancer herself.
There will be themed hours, including ’80s and Hawaiian, and guest deejays, and the program will conclude with a performance by local singer Alex Boye, Engelby said.
Five meals and snacks will be provided for participants throughout the event.
So far, more than 300 people have signed up to participate in this year’s event, a significant increase from the 150 people who participated last year.
“It’s a big deal,” Engelby said.
Participants have raised more than $67,000 so far for this year’s event, and many donations come in during the event as well, Engelby said. They hope to raise $100,000 for cancer research.
Students can sign up and bring donations all day Friday, or volunteer to help with activities during the dance marathon, which begins at 3 p.m.
Donations can be mailed to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation at 500 Huntsman Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
