Larry Elin is no stranger to Syracuse University dance marathons. When he was an undergraduate at SU in 1971, his Delta Tau Delta fraternity hosted them. 

 

The events raised $40,000 to $50,000 every year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said Elin, adviser for Habitat for Humanity and associate professor of television, radio and film.  

 

‘And people had so much fun,’ he said.

 

The event fizzled out in the late 1980s, but Elin is reviving it for another good cause: building a house for a family in downtown Syracuse. The SU and State University of New York Environmental Science and Forestry chapter of Habitat for Humanity will host a 12-hour long dance marathon Friday. The event will start at 8 p.m. in the Skybarn on South Campus. 

 

The chapter has built one house in Syracuse each year for the past several years. Habitat for Humanity’s executive board members hope this fundraiser will cover the $65,000 cost of building an additional house this year, Elin said. The current house is being constructed on Gifford Street.

 

Elin said Chancellor Nancy Cantor made a donation to Habitat for Humanity as a head start for its fundraising efforts.

 

‘Chancellor Nancy Cantor is a big fan of the organization because it is a perfect example of community engagement, and she has generously committed $20,000 per year toward the cost of the house for the next five years,’ Elin said.

 

He said Habitat for Humanity is responsible for raising the remaining $45,000 to cover the total cost of the house. 

 

For the event, students registered in teams that were required to raise money. Each team had to pay $35 to register. The team that raises the most money wins a grand prize — a two-night stay at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, California, during Spring Break.  

 

General admission tickets are $3 at the door to dance to one song and $7 to dance to five songs. 

 

Jenna Loadman, a junior in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries and a coordinator for the dance marathon, said the event offers a variety of activities that will occur throughout the night. 

 

‘It’s going to be an all-inclusive event,’ she said. ‘There is going to be a DJ from the radio station Hot 97 playing Top 40 hits that people can dance to.’ 

 

In addition to the DJ, four live bands — Big Mouth, Nate Stein, Greg Golterman and The Fly — will perform. There will also be food, snacks, drinks and a raffle basket, Loadman said.

 

A highlight of the night will be a demo of ‘Just Dance Michael Jackson,’ a Wii video game not yet available in stores. Event-goers will be able to play it throughout the marathon, and at the end of the night, three people will win the game to take home. 

Elin said he hopes this fun way to give back to the Syracuse community will be memorable for students. 

 

‘Students at Syracuse University can build a house in the city and leave something really meaningful when they graduate,’ he said. ‘What a terrific gift.’