Big media to cover marathon

Heralded as the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation, the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is slated to receive national media coverage this weekend.

Representatives from television programs and newspapers may be attending the dance marathon to write pieces. "CBS This Morning," "Good Morning America" and USA Today tentatively plan to cover the event, said Amy Stacy, public relations chair.

"We've already started the interview process," said Franci Lewis, a page at CBS This Morning.

Reporters from the television show have interviewed dancers and organizers about their involvement with dance marathon in the past weeks. The station plans to record a segment on Sunday during the final hours of dance marathon, a piece which Lewis said she hopes will air sometime within the next two weeks.

Dance marathon public relations committee members approached the program about covering the event during the fall of 1996, she said. Meredith Harris, dance marathon's New York and New Jersey public relations director, began talking to station representatives in November.

"I think at first the people were hesitant," Harris said. After learning that students would be soliciting donations in those states, she said members of media organizations located there decided the event was worthy of their national coverage.

The media is investigating every aspect of dance marathon, Harris said.

"They're trying to get a complete look at 'Thon," she said, explaining that television crews have recorded footage of students canning and taking part in other pre-dance marathon events.

"We always hear about 'Thon here in Pennsylvania," Harris said. "It's important that where students go canning the people know about dance marathon."