Canning in the Cold

In preparation for this year’s Dance Marathon, dancers have dedicated their Fall Quarter

to the longstanding tradition of canning.

At Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM), canning has become one of the

fundamental pillars of fundraising for both the rotating beneficiary and Evanston Community

Foundation, NUDM’s and longstanding beneficiary. Dancers dedicate their time at school sports

events, such as men’s basketball, football and wrestling matches, networking with students and

alumni about NUDM’s mission in hopes of collecting funds for the year’s beneficiaries.

Despite the nerves, canners attend sporting events with bright smiles and radiating energy

with the determination to draw in donations. Its uniqueness comes from each dancer being able

to construct their own elevator pitch when speaking to donors.

“I usually start off by saying that we are fundraising for Dance Marathon… a lot of

people that come to games are alumni so they often know what it is. We also will just front our

beneficiary, so this year we’ve been saying we’re raising money for pediatric cancer research”

said Tsion.

While putting yourself out there may be difficult, canning has helped many dancers break

out of their shells while also campaigning for a mission they are deeply passionate about.

NUDM junior CC McLarty reflected on her first experience canning with NUDM, saying

she“I learned what it’s like to be confident and talk about a cause I really believe in while raising

a lot of money,” she said.

While starting canning her freshman year, she was able to grow and find enjoyment in

fundraising, in spite of her initial nervousness. Additionally, she also shared some difficult

moments of facing rejection during canning and how to persevere through.

“Anytime you put yourself out there in any situation, whether it's asking people for money,

asking people to chat for a second while canning, it can be discouraging when people don’t look

at you or if they pass and say they don’t really want to donate right now.”

Amongst talking to many sporting event attendees unwilling to stop and donate, many

NUDM members have experienced rewarding moments while canning. As members get to

connect with past alumni and other dancers from other institutions, their love for Dance

Marathon radiates throughout the community. These rewarding moments serve as reminders of

how meaningful NUDM is and how its community nationally is dedicated to their philanthropy.

Tsion Carnelli shared a memorable experience from canning for NUDM: “When I was

canning for the alumni football game, I met two of the guys that ran the NUDM casino in the 70s

or 80s and it was really exciting to talk to them and they talked about a bunch of old traditions

that they used to do.”

She said NUDM’s network across generations demonstrates its meaningfulness and

impact in the community. Many Northwestern alum and previous dancers continue to show

support for NUDM through their donations and promotion of events.

Canning is also a unique way to expand NUDM’s outreach to many community members

who may be unaware of the mission. Getting to share what NUDM is helps raise awareness on

campus and also encourages students to sign up to dance on April 3-4!

This quick elevator pitch helps spread the word and is also an excellent way for dancers

to bring in large donations in a short period of time, especially with the right frame and NUDM

pitch. Its uniqueness comes with each dancer getting to “trial-and-error” different pitches and

distinguishing what is their best way to connect with the community and advocate for NUDM’s

mission.

From senior Stephen Levitt, we learn that his pitch’s individuality also comes with each

day's singularity. At Penn State v. Northwestern basketball game, one of the coldest winter days,

he shared:

“I like to play into whatever elements of the day are, so on a different day it’s a different elevator

pitch. Today it was really cold, so I like to tell people that although it’s cold, it’s never too cold to

give.”

From shy first-timers to seasoned canning pros, NUDM dancers prove that with a smile, a

little courage, and a lot of heart, even the smallest pitch can make the biggest difference—one

donation and one smile at a time.