Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Student-Athletes Spearhead Successful Tik Tok Battle to Support NUDM
3/24/2021 8:52:00 AM | 'Cats Give Back
Wildcat student-athletes helped Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM) raise well over a half a million dollars to support Compass to Care, an organization that supports families with children who suffer from childhood cancer cover travel-related expenses.
Although the pandemic prevented students from participating in the traditional 30 hours of dancing, it did not deter student-athletes from thinking creatively about ways to support NUDM during a unique year.
Under the leadership of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Executive Board, the student-athlete body launched the inaugural virtual Tik Tok Battle. Over the course of a 5-day challenge, student-athletes had the ability to submit a video to one of four categories including laugh out loud, most original, viral remake and best dance skills. The winners, selected by those who followed @nu_pride on Instagram, were revealed the following day. The final day of the challenge featured a battle between the winners of each category.
Robbie Beran, a sophomore on the men's basketball team, was the overall winner of the Tik Tok Battle with his "most original" Tik Tok that featured his dog tossed into a snowbank. Beran wanted those who watched the video to know that his dog, Smokey, was not harmed in the making of the video. He explains, "I don't like to dance, but I was in it to win it."
The battle was a huge success that generated a total of $6,369 among all 19 varsity programs, which was the second most raised in the history of the athletic department.
In keeping with tradition, every year the athletic department presents the "Stay Classy" award, an honor given to the team that raises the most funds for NUDM's beneficiary.
For the second year in a row, the field hockey team was victorious. Kayla Blas, a junior on the field hockey team and member of SAAC, was proud of how her team rallied together to support an amazing case.
Blas explains, "our team loves helping others and serving those who need it. A big part of our team culture is to be leaders not only on the field and in the classroom, but within the community." She goes on to say that, "being able to fundraise to help Compass to Care helped us realize that we have an opportunity to help those who need it and support those around us."
