"And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."   On the night of Friday, August 24, 2007 over 130 teens danced for 10 straight hours to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.   The event took place at the St. Johns Banquet and Conference Center in downtown St. Johns from 10 pm until 8 am.  Before the night of the dance, the teens spent over one month, not "sitting it out," but fundraising around town.  The St. Johns teens raised over $5,000 from the generous contributions they received from individuals and local companies.  There were 13 teams, comprised of 10 teens each, which competed against one another to see who could raise the most money.   Jenna Parker's team, which raised the most money, spent numerous hours going door to door and selling baked goods after church to add up to the winning $1,200 amount.

This inaugural TEENS DANCE FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T dance-a-thon was put on by the St. Johns area Christian teen organization, REMIX.    The teen group was formed over a year ago through the efforts of area church leaders and parents.  REMIX's mission is to provide opportunities for teens to grow in Christian faith and fellowship.  At present, the group is comprised of teens from: Church of the Nazarene, First Church of God, First Congregational, First United Methodist, Lowe United Methodist, Pilgrim United Methodist, St. Joseph Catholic, St. Peter Lutheran.

According to Nancy Poff, the dance-a-thon idea originated from the spirit of one of its organizers, Kimberly Hogan, who ran a marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in October 2007.  She spoke to the teens in the late spring about the meaning of Christian charity and the effects of leukemia and lymphoma on the lives of so many Americans.  In particular, Kimberly thought the teens would be interested in learning more about the organization because while great advances have been made in treating blood cancers, leukemia is still the leading cancer killer of children between the ages of 1 and 15; and leukemia and lymphoma are the leading fatal cancers in young women and men under 35.  Chances are that many of these teens have known or will know someone who has to battle a leukemia or lymphoma cancer.

The Teens Dance for Those Who Can't Dance-a-Thon Committee consisted of Nancy Poff, Kimberly Hogan, Cathy Wirth, Sherri Winkler, Michelle Parker and teen team captains: Jenna Parker, Brianne Stroub, Zach Tomczak, Megan Ruestmann, Melanie Sanborn, Andrew Harte, Alanna Olson, Cassondra Wilke, Becky Collins, PJ Williams, Erin Mackie, Amber Pung, and Samantha Kellogg. 

Many high school teachers and coaches also came throughout the night to support the students:  
Mrs. Erin Barry
Mr. Mark Lasceski
Mrs. Heather Dedyne
Mr. Sackrider
Mr. Roy Davis
Mr. Jake Parker
Mr. Kim Brewbaker
Mr. Stukey 

The St. Johns High School Drum Line even performed during the middle of the night to provide entertainment.  "We would also like to thank all the people of the different churches who helped by bringing baked goods, food and drinks, those adults who helped chaperone all night, and the men who cooked our pancake breakfast,"  said Cathy Wirth.  "The support of these businesses and individuals was essential to the success of this event.  We look forward to next year’s Teens Dance for Those Who Can’t Dance-a-Thon."