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" I&amp;#039;ve always said that Seventeen is my favorite and lucky number for many reasons, but this past weekend has me absolutely loving an entirely new number: 436,709.61. That number happens to be how much money we raised at this year&amp;#039;s UNC Dance Marathon for the North Carolina Children&amp;#039;s Hospital. As a dancer in the 24-hour frenzy, I can honestly say that this one day changed my life forever. Even after a huge 13-hour snooze fest after the marathon, it&amp;#039;s still difficult for me to describe what I felt for those 24 hours \u2013 and not because of the sleep deprivation. Never in my life have I experienced such unconditional love, and seeing that I go to UNC, a school with more school spirit than most, it truly means a lot when I say that I have never felt more proud to be a Carolina Tarheel than I did during the marathon. Dancers laughed together, cried together, cheered together, and celebrated life together, all while hoping to grant a second chance at life for children with serious and terminal illnesses. Just when I was beginning to feel like my feet couldn&amp;#039;t possibly hurt anymore (we weren&amp;#039;t allowed to sit down!) and when I was becoming so delirious that it took me at least 20 tries to properly pronounce the word &amp;quot;dancer,&amp;quot; I was once again reminded why I was there. Several of the children and their families whose lives had been touched by the funds raised by Dance Marathon made an appearance. To see these kids, many of them now cured from their former ailments, smiling, made it worth it. It was because of this that, when we reached that final hour, we danced just as hard as we did during the first. And finally, there was tearful sentiment of one mother that didn&amp;#039;t leave a single dry eye in the house: &amp;quot;When life kicks you in the a** \u2013 because it will \u2013 and when you&amp;#039;re feeling down about yourself, I want you to think back to this day. Don&amp;#039;t you ever think that any minute you were standing here didn&amp;#039;t help to change someone&amp;#039;s life or think that it wasn&amp;#039;t worth it. You all have done something so selfless to change the lives of families you will probably never meet. And, for that, you all are incredible.&amp;quot;  In those 24 hours alone, I made new friends, danced to just about every Katy Perry song in existence, screamed at the top of my lungs, and met children, who have more courage than I will ever know. Shortly after finishing the marathon, I told my mom over the phone, all the while bawling out of pure elation, that I&amp;#039;ve already decided to be a team captain next year... and that&amp;#039;s a promise I intend to keep. Sure it was difficult, but I am so humbled by the experience. It&amp;#039;s something I fully encourage all of you to take the opportunity to do if given the chance. I mean, think about it, it&amp;#039;s not like you&amp;#039;re going to get sleep anyway by not going \u2013 you&amp;#039;re a college student, silly ;) &amp;quot;I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.&amp;quot; -Mother Teresa FTW and FTK (For the Kids!), Katie :) Thinking about doing a dance marathon? Leave me a comment below to let me know how pumped you are! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a13708/unc-dance-marathon/>