It’s that time of year again: let the madness begin!
March madness is an annual dance competition held at Illinois State University during the spring semester. This philanthropic event, scheduled for April 6 at Redbird Arena, is hosted by Chi Omega, a campus social sorority, to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Panhellenic Council sororities and Interfraternity Council fraternities participate as dance teams, helping the dance competition raise thousands of dollars while spreading awareness of the mission of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
This will be the 43rd year of the event with sororities and fraternities of all the Greek councils who came to support this event to show Greek unity.
How it works?
To find out a little more about this event, we spoke with Alpha Omicron Pi member Ashley Dusa. Here’s the inside scoop:
Question : What is the purpose of March Madness?
A: The goal of March Madness is to bring together a Greek community and support Chi Omega’s philanthropic event that raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This time spent together allows us to build relationships within the chapters while dancing for a great cause.
Question : When do teams start preparing for March Madness?
A: Teams begin preparing for March Madness in January, sometimes before. Concretely, with Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), we start practicing in January from the start of the second semester.
Question : How much money was raised last year?
A: The total amount raised last year has not yet been made public. In 2017, we were able to raise $50,000which was great!
Question : What is required of participating teams?
A: Depending on the chapter, many teams meet several times a week for two to three hours at each practice. Each member must do their best and learn the routines created by their dance coordinators. Typically, Chi Omega assigns a theme to March Madness. For example, last year’s theme was “Evening at the movies.” Based on the theme, in each chapter they designate a celebrity, a song or a character who follows the theme.
Question : How is the winner determined?
A: The winners are determined by a jury. Winners are selected for their technique, energy and friendliness.
Tickets and more information about the event are available online.
