Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Questions? Concerns? Here is your easy-access resource on getting the answers you need. If your question is not answered here, please fill out our Questions form here.
Categories
Dancer/Team
Q: How much do the long sleeve t-shirts cost? I thought they were free?
A: For all 1st dancer deadline sign ups, long sleeve t-shirts are free. For 2nd dancer deadline sign ups, they are $5, and for 3rd Dancer Deadline sign ups, they are $10. Feel free to check out other great apparel in the DMUM Office.
Q: How do I build a strong relationship with my Dance Marathon family?
A: The best and easiest way to create a strong relationship with your Dance Marathon family is going to the family events such as Pumpkin Carving, PJ Party, Winter Event, and Charity Ball. These events give both the dancers and the families an opportunity to meet and interact. It also promotes dancers to meet other families involved in DMUM. Another way to become involved with your family is through the help of your Dancer Captain. Many teams organize a fun event with their family outside of the pre-planned Dance Marathon events. This provides a smaller scale and more individualistic opportunity for dancers and their paired family to interact.
Fundraising
Q: How can I download the fundraising template letter?
A: 1. Log in to DMUM.org under "My DMUM"
2. Go to "My Events"
3. Click on resources under Dance Marathon 2008-2009 and ... BOOM it will be right there!
Q: What are the most-used fundraising methods?
A: 1)Sending donation letters to family, friends, past teachers, coaches, past employers, etc., 2)Bucketing, 3)Bringing lots of friends to DM events
Q: I went bucketing with my friend and her money has been posted on the website and mine has not.
A: Not all dancer totals are posted at the same time. Please give us 2 weeks to get the money up and if it is still not there, please check back.
Q: My fundraising total is wrong on my dancer page.
A: If the money is you turned in has not shown up at all, and it has been less than 2 weeks, please give us some time to get the information up there. If the total is wrong, please email us with the discrepancy and we will check it out.
Getting Involved
Q: Do you have to dance to be in dance marathon
A: No! Dancing is definitely not a requirement. The Dance Marathon consists of hundreds of students standing on their feet for 30 hours, with optional dancing occurring throughout the 30 hours.
Q: How can my student organization become involved with Dance Marathon?
A: You can join DMUM as a student org dancer team and have up to 18 people all on the same POD (6 teams), with up to 3 people on each team. The team is required to earn $300 per person on the team, but you can raise it all together. Activities like concerts, date auctions, and bar nights are GREAT fundraisers that help our student orgs reach their requirement! If your student org doesn't feel like dancing, you can becoming involved at the Marathon, March 21st and 22nd. You can volunteer in shifts of 2-4 hours as crew which helps with miscellaneous jobs at the event, as a moraler that cheer on dancers while they stand for 30 hours, or as a SMORG where your student org can have a table with activities for dancers.
Q: I missed the deadline to dance, but how can I sign up to morale?
A: Starting in mid February, you can register online at www.DMUM.org to morale. Come for 2 hours, or come for 30-dancers always appreciate the massages, cheering, and other goodies that moralers bring them!
Q: How does my family join DMUM?
A: We are always looking for families to join our organization, and fortunately it is very simple process. Just send an email to Liz and Kathleen at DMUM.fhr@umich.edu expressing your interest. Then you will receive a packet of questions either by email or postal mail (whichever you prefer). Once that packet is filled out and received by Liz and Kathleen, you will be an official Dance Marathon family and will be paired with a team as soon as possible. In addition to this being such a simple process, it is also free! There are not any fees for families who would like to join our organization.
Q: I don't know if I have enough time to be a dancer family. Is there another alternative?
A: Dance Marathon understands that your family may not have enough time to devote to being a dancer family, however you and your family could also register to be an events family. These families are not paired directly with a team of dancers, yet are still invited to attend any of the Dance Marathon events including PJ Party, Charity Ball and the Marathon. If you are interested in being an events family, please email our FHR charis at dmum.fhr@umich.edu and we will send you an information packet.
Q: Can I still be on the Morale Captain Committee?
A: We're sorry, but morale captains are chosen through a selection process that takes place at the beginning of the school year. Check out the website this summer for the application to be a 2010-2011 morale captain!
Q: Do Morale Captains just make up the linedance?
A: No! MCs do choreograph the linedance, but they are also responsible for planning Pumpkin Carving, running the year-long spirit competition, creating the games, crafts, and other activities that take place at the marathon, and, of course, keeping the morale in the organization really high! Your Morale Captain plays a huge role in DMUM and is a great resource if you ever have any questions or concerns about the program.
Marathon
Q: Why is the Marathon 30 hours long?
A: Our marathon is 30 hours long because standing for that length demonstrates the perseverance and determination of our kids who overcome physical and mental challenges every day living with their disabilities. 30 hours is also a part of the DMUM tradition, there have been thousands of dancers over the past 11 years that have stood for those 30 hours, and we are proud to continue that tradition.
Q: When is the deadline to turn in money to get to the Marathon?
A: 10am March 21st, when you arrive at the marathon! (deadline to receive incentives will be at least a week before that)
Q: If I know a performer or group that I want to come to the marathon what can I do?
A: Just send an email to dmum.entertainment@umich.edu with all of their info and why you think they would be great at the marathon (any special connection or reason). We want to give you the marathon you want so suggestions are welcome!
Q: What can I expect at the marathon? What is there to do?
A: The marathon is essentially a 30-hour party that we throw for YOU, so get excited! While the specifics of the marathon will be unveiled to you once you get there, you can expect a great variety of performers, activities developed by MC's for each theme hour, tons of different decorations to set the mood, crafts to make, 6 meals, and much more!
Therapies/Families
Q: Who benefits from our sponsored therapies?
A: The money raised from the Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan goes to fund therapies at Mott and Beaumont hospitals. At these hospitals we support therapies that promote physical improvement, social skills, and so much more. Many insurances do not cover very much if any of these types of therapies, so without us, they would not be available or affordable.
Website Functionality
Q: How can I send donation e-mails to from DMUM.org?
A: You can send e-mails from DMUM.org to link people directly to your donation page! How to:
1. Log in to DMUM.org under "My DMUM"
2. Go to Events
3. Click on "Donations"
4. Click on "Donation Invitation" button
5. Type recipients e-mail addresses and an inspirational message. Click send.
F.Y.I. If you go to the Address Book tab, you can import your entire contact list from gmail or other supported e-mail servers.
