Dance Marathon has chosen the Niles Township Food Pantry as its 2025–26 beneficiary, aiming to raise $60,000 to fight food insecurity in the local community. Last year, Niles West and North students raised $58,000 for the Chicago Refugee Coalition.

“The Niles Township Food Pantry provides food and other necessities to people throughout the suburbs, such as food, paper, paper towels and more. And right now, especially, they’ve seen an increase in people who need support and so we’re excited that the money we raised is going to help support their outreach efforts,” Dance Marathon sponsor Dena Lichterman said.

Every year, Dance Marathon receives 30-40 applications from nonprofits to become beneficiaries. Dance Marathon Executive and senior Orli Eisenberg explains the process in selecting the Niles Food Pantry. Dance Marathon sought out nonprofits that had a clear need for the money, a plan for what would be done with it and plenty of volunteer opportunities. They also favored nonprofits that could leave a significant impact on the local community.

“The process is student-led, so we suggest them and reach out to nonprofits that we think are a good fit…Then, we have different rounds and different meetings in collaboration with North execs and we must explain why we think that our beneficiaries should be chosen. We then vote for our top choices and get in touch with the head of the nonprofits to come in and talk to us to basically sell their nonprofits and tell us why we should choose them as a beneficiary,” Eisenberg said.

This process informed Dance Marathon executives’ choice of beneficiary.

“That is a really important factor in why we choose them. Personally, people who presented their nonprofit and they were very confident and knowledgeable about where the money was going and what our impact would be appealed to me,” Eisenberg said.

Niles Food Pantry stood out because they presented the exact needs and uses that Dance Marathon’s donation would go towards.

“After the execs talked after the presentations, it was really obvious that the food pantry makes sense to be our beneficiary. It’s so local, it’s it needs our money and it’s a nonprofit that’s affecting our peers,” Eisenberg said.

With a year of fundraising and planning ahead, Dance Marathon Executive and senior Alvina Joseph reflects on this opportunity to bring help to others in need.

“I think it’s nice to see the impact and I’m very grateful to be part of a club that offers support and help to those in need and I enjoy helping others so it also incorporates something I like to do,” Joseph said.