Students dance at Northern Bedford County’s annual mini dance-a-thon, held from Thursday into Friday. Courtesy photo

A mini dance-a-thon held by Northern Bedford County students raised more than $42,000 for families in need.

The dance marathon kicked off Thursday with an assembly that shared the stories of the families for whom the students were raising money. There was also a surprise performance by “The Voice” contestant Ethan Eckenroad, a Northern Bedford County High School graduate.

Dancing started at 9 p.m. Thursday and concluded at 7 a.m. Friday, with students announcing the total raised by holding posters with the dollar amount.

The total came in at $42,513.

“Absolutely amazed at what this community pulls off every year,” stated a post on the Northern Bedford Dance a Thon Facebook page.

More than 45 staff members chaperoned the event and 75% of the middle-high school students participated.

Since its inception more than a dozen years ago, the dance marathon has raised over $454,500 for families in the community.

This year, the funds raised will help several families, including:

– The Jared and Madyson Ickes family of Altoona. Jared is a 2012 graduate of Claysburg-Kimmel. On Nov. 27, 2024, Madyson delivered their son Jett via emergency C-section at only 25 weeks gestation due to complications from severe preeclampsia. Jett weighed in at only 1 pound and has been in the neonatal intensive care unit at UPMC Magee Women’s hospital since. He has made it through many obstacles including brain bleeds, blood transfusions, retinopathy in his eyes that required injections and sepsis. He has made huge strides since his early arrival, but still has a long road ahead of him filled with lots of occupational and physical therapies, as well as follow up care from cardiology and pulmonology.

– Myla Zelanko, the daughter of Travis and Olivia Zelanko of Bedford. In late November, Myla started experiencing severe hand tremors. She was taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh on Nov. 22, where she underwent extensive testing. It was determined that Myla had a neuroblastoma (a cancerous tumor located adjacent to the nerves of her pelvis and lower spine). The neuroblastoma caused Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome, or OM Syndrome for short, which is why her hands were uncontrollably trembling. On Nov. 27, doctors at Children’s successfully removed the entire mass. Myla began intense autoimmune therapy at the end of December and is currently continuing these treatments. She also needs repeat MRIs and blood work every three months.

– A familiar face around Northern Bedford athletics for many years, specifically football, basketball and track meets, has been that of Coach Barry Crawford. In July 2024, Coach Crawford was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. It is a disease of the nervous system that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movements. These are the muscles that people use to move, swallow, speak and breathe. ALS is a progressive terminal illness, meaning that as the muscles deteriorate in different places throughout the body, the body stops working. It is not known what causes ALS, and there is no cure.

– Kourtney Zimmerman, the 2-year-old daughter of Jamie and Melissa Zimmerman of Salemville. Following some health issues, it was discovered that Kourtney has a rare genetic disorder known as MSUD and she required a liver transplant. Due to this condition, Kourtney’s body was unable to break down certain amino acids, and this issue could ultimately lead to brain damage or death. On Feb. 7, Kourtney was able to get her transplant and has been out in Pittsburgh ever since. The goal is for her to be able to come home in the coming weeks.