The 2024 Nebraska Dance Benefit Concert has wrapped and it was a huge success! “Carnival for a Cause” was the theme of the day, and JDRF of Nebraska and Iowa will be the recipient of the proceeds. So far, over $20,000 has been raised, and there is still time to increase that amount! Through our Benefit Concert, our Nebraska Dance community was able to learn about the great work being carried out right here in our community by this amazing organization. The educational efforts of the JDRF team also helped our students and families to learn more about the struggles affecting those who live with T1D every day.
Saturday, May 4th was an eventful day at Concordia High School. Our program dancers started the entertainment with soloists performing in the morning. Then our program group dances took the stage from 10:00am-4:30pm in the auditorium. While the performances were taking place, attendees could also check out the carnival games and activities, have their face painted, or enjoy lunch, snacks and treats! Games included a cakewalk, ring toss, guessing games, and other carnival fun! Popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones added to the carnival atmosphere.
The competition was fierce for the Penny Wars that took place at the studio in the weeks leading up the benefit concert. This additional effort for fundraising split the students into two teams based on their grade, making for some tough competition between the Odd and Even teams. Students could earn points for their team by adding pennies to their team’s jar, but they could also deduct points from their opponent’s jar by adding nickels, dimes, quarters and even dollars. It was neck and neck for much of the week, but the ODD team pulled off the victory in the end! The dancers were so excited to add these funds to the total amount raised for JDRF!
The day was a huge success due to the generous contributions from our ND families and their loved ones who attended the Benefit Concert. We wish to thank every individual who contributed, whether financially, or with a gift of their time and talent. We could not have the success of this event without the volunteer efforts of our ND families!
The educational impact this day had on our dancers and families will continue to influence their perspective and empathy for those battling this disease. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, also known as “JDRF”, is the leading global funder of type 1 diabetes research. JDRF benefits over 2 million type 1 diabetics in the US as well as their extended families and caretakers. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, JDRF relies on donations and volunteer support from individuals and businesses to continue to drive medical breakthroughs from start to finish. The funds raised through the generous support of the Nebraska Dance community will be used locally to provide critical training resources for newly diagnosed type 1 diabetics and will also be applied towards national and international JDRF research and development efforts to find a cure and to fund new technologies to better help people manage type 1 diabetes. You can click below to learn more about JDRF of Nebraska and Iowa through this video:
Our donation link is still active until June 3rd! We hope you will help us add to our support for JDRF.
