Pace will be hosting its first ever Pace 4 Kids (P4K) Dance Marathon to benefit the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

A small, ten-person committee of students and staff created the idea P4K. Caitlin Kirschbaum, Student Development and Campus Activities (SDCA) Coordinator, proposed the idea to benefit the Marie Fareri Children’s Hospital in order to aid the hospital’s goal to “make all children happy and healthy.”

The hospital helps premature babies, newborns and teenagers in all units of the hospital.

“It’s the best worst place you could ever have to be,” Kirschbaum said. “I wish that no child would need to go there, but if they have a serious medical condition or emergency it is the best place for them to be.”

The P4K committee initially wanted to help the hospital with the knowledge that Kirschbaum has personal ties to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

During Kirschbaum’s sophomore year at Pace her brother Chris suffered from an aneurism that lead to a medically induced coma. Chris had gone out shoveling and sledding one snowy day with his friends and when it began to get dark they started to worry. Soon after he got home he was complaining of his head hurting and seeing double.

“As soon as he started vomiting we knew that it wasn’t just a headache,” Kirschbaum said. “We knew it could be a concussion or worse. We called the ambulance to bring him to the hospital.”

Upon concluding the severity of Chris’ condition, it became necessary for Chris to be transferred to he Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

“I remember the fear and shock in my mother.” Kirschbaum said, “All she kept asking was ‘Is he going to be ok?’ The nurses couldn’t say for sure but I knew as the oldest I had to step up and be there for her and for Chris.”

The cause of the problem was a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM), an abnormal connection of the arteries and veins in the brain. The doctors explained that he was the youngest case they had seen in the region, and due to the complexity, they had said he had a fifteen percent chance of living. Chris underwent eight hours of surgery with two different procedures, and remained in the hospital following the surgery for two months.

Today Chris continues life because of the expert team of doctors and nurses at the Marie Fareri Children’s Hospital. His family members are extremely grateful that he is still here with them.

P4K is just one way to give back. The organization was officially established at Pace last spring when faculty and student government members came together to discuss the idea.

“There was a lot of excitement in the room,” Kirschbaum said. “We wanted to create a philanthropic unity event in the fall to correspond with the Relay for Life in the spring, that way students become more involved in seeing what Pace can come together to do for a good cause earlier in the year.”

In its first year running, P4K has hosted pre-events that involve students working to help make the lives of the children happier. During Pace Makes a Difference Day, construction paper stars were created by students to send to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital for patients to color while their parents fill out paperwork upon arrival.

“I’ve been to the hospital so many times,” SDCA marketing intern Briana Finelli said, “and every time you meet a child you realize this is why you are doing this.”

The theme of the marathon will be neon and aims to involve people through dance to benefit the children at the Maria Fareri Hospital.

There will be presentations from children and families that have been touched by the hospital and many of these families will be participating. The speakers will explain their stories and why they are so grateful for the hospital’s help and support.

“I want other people to know why we are doing this,” Finelli said, “that’s why after people see what this is all about I think they will really care and the event will become a staple for the Pace community.”

The goal for the Pace community is to raise $20,000 to donate to the hospital. Teams or individuals can sign up to fundraise and get involved in the dance marathon which will be held on Nov. 22 & 23 in the Wilcox Gym.