BuckeyeThon, the annual dance marathon, which took place Friday and Saturday in the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University, raised $608,623 for Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital — an increase of nearly 34 percent from last year’s donation of more than $450,000.
“On behalf of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, our entire staff and our patient families, I want to thank the students of Ohio State who participated in BuckeyeThon,” said Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, division chief of Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s. “For these students to dedicate their time to support our patient families, speaks volumes. With their support, our pediatric cancer team here at Nationwide Children’s is able to continue providing the highest quality of care to the patients and families we serve.”
BuckeyeThon had more than 3,600 registered dancers this year which was double the amount of participants from 2012 and marked one of the largest dance marathons in the history of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals – an organization serving nearly 170 children’s hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.
Throughout the year, BuckeyeThon strives to raise money to support the patients and families treated in Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s. Committee members, dancers and volunteers participate in events throughout the year culminating in a dance marathon to both monetarily support the patients and make them feel extra special.
During the last decade, BuckeyeThon has grown to become the premier philanthropic organization and a signature event at Ohio State. Since its inception, BuckeyeThon has raised nearly $2 million for Nationwide Children’s.
Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital consists of a staff of physicians, surgeons, physician/clinician scientists and nurses who provide a comprehensive approach to treatment. The team offers diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management to neonates through age 30 and older. The goal is to create an environment where patients can achieve optimal health while being treated for acute and chronic blood disorders and cancer.
Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s is a member institution of the Children’s Oncology Group and the Therapeutic Advances for Childhood Leukemia consortium. The program partners with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, which includes the National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. The BMT program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.