ValkyrieBEAT: Dancing For a Cure

This Friday, March 24, Valkyries and their friends will gather in the gym for a fun-filled night of dancing at the first annual ValkyrieBEAT dance marathon. The marathon, held by Sacred Heart’s ValkyrieBEAT club, was created by senior Anna Maria Beck with the goal of raising money for pediatric cancer research. ValkyrieBEAT is the first Catholic high school dance marathon in Louisville and all proceeds will benefit the University of Louisville’s Pediatric Oncology and Hematologist Clinic.

However, a dance marathon does not miraculously come together, and the club has been working hard since August to promote, fundraise, and plan the event. Throughout the first couple of weeks, club members joined committees that focus on each aspect of planning a large event. From then on, club members and committees met to plan, promote, and keep track of funds. The club also hosted their first percentage night at Mellow Mushroom, and then at Salsarita’s. Within the first few months the club had already raised over $2,300.

Besides planning the event, club members worked around the community, coming together to create cards for pediatric cancer patients and deliver them on holidays.

“The best part of delivering the Valentine’s cards to the kids would have to be meeting the kids and their parents and getting to know them,” junior Hanna Montalvo said. “It was really cool to see how something so easy to make like a card can make them so happy.”

As the event grew closer, the club started hosting all-school line dance, or flash dance, practices in the gym after school. This allowed everyone interested, not just club members, to learn the dance routine that would be performed during ValkyrieBeat. The line dance is a 6 minute routine that incorporates different styles of dance and genres of music. It is an essential part of a dance marathon as it brings the crowd together.

“The line dance is a way to get everyone involved and is what we use to reveal the total amount of money we’ve raised,” junior Alaina Eifler said. “I think it makes raising money and participating in a dance marathon really special.”

During the event, there will be catering from places including Insomnia Cookies and Papa Johns. As well, there will be fun activities throughout the night such as cornhole, face painting, and much more. Each hour of the dance marathon will be separated by theme. The themes are: Disney, western, and neon. Feel free to go all out and bring your own costumes. The night will come to a close with the line dance and big reveal of how much was raised.

There is so much that has gone into ValkyrieBEAT, and club members cannot wait to share it with the rest of Sacred Heart on Friday from 6-10 pm. There are still opportunities to get involved, sign up sheets for set up and clean up are in the learning center. These count towards service hours for all grades.

If you cannot make it, or just want to help raise money, you can donate toward the overall goal of $10,000 by going on the fundraising website and finding your TEAM room.

Tickets are $15 if bought at lunch, $20 if bought at the door. Included with your ticket is entry, a t-shirt, and all you can eat food. Friends from other schools are welcome, but another ticket is required.

We’ll see you there Sacred Heart, and don’t forget to dance your heart out!

Fundraising: https://elevate.louisville.edu/g/sha_valkryiebeat

Follow ValkyrieBEAT:
Instagram: @shavalkyriebeat
Twitter: @valkyrieBEAT
Facebook: ValkyrieBEAT