PORTLAND – Ten hours earlier, as the clock approached midnight Saturday, Scarborough twins Gabrielle and Samantha Roche had been giddy with excitement.
“I met so many amazing people,” Samantha gushed as music blared inside Sullivan Gym on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus.
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“This is such a good cause,” chimed in Gabrielle, who, along with her sister, raised $2,300 in the seventh annual STRIVE Rocks Dance Marathon.
In the event’s 14th and final hour Sunday morning, Samantha remained upright while Gabrielle curled up on the floor, half inside a hula hoop, despite the bright lights and thumping music emanating from a stage behind her.
“She drinks coffee,” explained Gabrielle. “I don’t.”
Even so, the Roches, whose 10-year-old brother has autism, were among about five dozen dancers who made it all the way from 8 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. A cast of 350 participated in the event, the year’s biggest fundraiser for STRIVE, an organization that offers social, educational and employment training for children (as young as 11) and adults (as old as 25) who have developmental disabilities.
More than 15 Key Club service organizations from local high schools also took part in the event, with school spirit winner Deering High sending a crew of 32.
“Who doesn’t want to dance for 14 hours?” said Scott Downs, 17, of Deering. Downs, resplendent in a purple bandana, was voted Mr. Dance Marathon by his fellow participants.
“It’s like doing a good deed,” he said. “It feels so good to raise money for these kids who don’t get recognized. And just being with all these people, no one was judged. Everybody was part of a group.”
The Miss Dance Marathon award went to Caitlin Very, 18, also of Deering. In addition to a wild outfit, she painted white-and-purple claw marks on her left cheek and fashioned her own black-and-purple pompoms from materials that included PVC piping.
“I think it’s such a great cause,” said Very, who won an hourly Spirit Sash twice in last year’s marathon and led a late-morning conga line Sunday. “The biggest turnout is always from Deering. We take it very seriously.”
STRIVE Director Peter Brown said the marathon raised $30,007 for his organization.
“We do an annual auction in the fall, but this is our signature fundraiser because it also helps us get the word out about our programs,” Brown said. “One of the things we really try to do is be inclusive and have teams of young adults without disabilities involved in our programs, and this is a great way to do that.”
Kathleen Shevenell, 20, a STRIVE student from Portland who graduated from Gorham High in 2009, was the top individual fundraiser at $1,516. She won first choice among the nine highest earners for a package of prizes that included a digital camera (her selection), a flat-screen TV and a variety of ticket packages donated by sports teams and adventure parks.
“I just enjoy going out with my friends and dancing,” said Shevenell, who wore an orange lei from the Splish Splash Beach Bash hour (1 to 2 a.m.), one of nine distinct theme hours that began at midnight and helped participants fight off the drowsies. Other activities that helped: three live bands, massages, psychic readings, a photo booth, an inflatable bouncy castle, an inflatable obstacle course, foosball, air hockey and a trio of interactive video games set up on large-screen televisions.
When the music finally stopped, host Shannon Moss of WMTW-TV (Channel 8) announced the prize winners and unveiled the total money raised.
“We’ll see you all next year,” she said. “Now go get some sleep.”
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
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