Superdance!

March 26, 2011 - Superdance Success!

CLICK HERE to read all about the
2011 Superdance
to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

See more photos and stories from Superdance 2011 in local media:
The Arlington Catholic Herald
The Arlington Connection (cover story!)

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SUPERDANCE?

LATEST NEWS

Online donations still accepted!
See link on the right sidebar to enter O'Connell's new Superdance CFF Portal. 

Special Edition of the Visor - March 2011
The school newspaper produced a special Superdance edition. READ IT HERE.

Superdance Assembly - Feb. 25
Read about the Feb. 25 Superdance Assembly and more in the Mar. 3 Arlington Catholic Herald.

Alumni are always welcome to stop by Superdance. An alumni "welcome" room has special activities and memories from past Superdance events. Our faculty and students are glad to see you!

In addition, two alumni events took place on the weekend of Superdance. On Friday, Mar. 25, members of the class of 1980 hosted an all-alumni Superdance event at Kilroy's in Springfield. The 100 alumni and friends who attended were treated to a live performance of "Soul Purpose," whose members include several class of 1980 graduates, including singer Al Camacho, guitarists Jim Wilson and Billy Barr and drummer Tom Cocozza. Graduates from all decades came from as far away as Atlanta to reconnect and reminisce about their Superdance days.

VIEW A SLIDESHOW FROM KILROY'S HERE.

On Saturday night, members of the class of 2002 and 2003 hosted an event at the Blaguard in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Another 100 alumni gathered there to catch up with their classmates—for a very good cause. Libby Muldoon '03 said, "It's hard to believe that my friends and I have been a part of Superdance for 12 years—from freshman year at O'Connell, to helping organize the fourth annual alumni event here in Adams Morgan! Alumni have a soft spot in their hearts for finding a cure for CF. It's incredible to be involved and see the momentum building year after year!"

VIEW A SLIDESHOW FROM THE BLAGUARD HERE.

ARCHIVES

Superdance Highlighted in Jan. 2011 Catholic Online Magazine
Kathryn Elliott, a 2008 graduate of Bishop O'Connell, contributed a touching article on the origins of our annual Superdance fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis, and the legacy of the O'Donnell family, to the January 2011 issue of the Catholic devotional magazine, The Word Among Us. Read the article at http://wau.org/archives/article/dancing_for_dear_life/.

2010 Superdance
Bishop O'Connell held its 35th annual Superdance for Cystic Fibrosis on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from noon until midnight. The students danced the afternoon and night away to some great local bands and talented DJs, while raising awareness and funds to find a cure for this disease.  CLICK HERE to view a few highlights of the 2010 event.

 Alumni Come Together for the Cure
As is tradition, an alumni hospitality room was set up at the Superdance for alumni to mix and mingle with students, faculty and other alumni. Vintage Superdance t-shirts and yearbooks were also on display. In addition, more than 200 alumni gathered at Tom Tom Bar & Grill in Washington, DC. March 13 from 7 p.m. until midnight for an alumni-organized event to benefit CF research. This event raised an additional $2000 for the Superdance. Visit the Facebook event for complete details.

Superdance Assembly Raises Student Awareness of Cystic Fibrosis
On Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 the student body gathered in the auditorium for a two-hour assembly organized by the SCA Executive Board and all the Superdance student committees. READ MORE...

Superdance Planning Covered in December 2009 issue of the Arlington Catholic Herald
Student correspondent, Erin McDonough, gives an inside look into the early planning stages for Superdance 2010. Read more in the December 24-31 Arlington Catholic Herald, or online HERE.

Photo Highlights from 2009 Superdance
CLICK HERE for a slideshow from the 2009 Superdance. 

HISTORY

Since 1975, Bishop O'Connell students have been hosting a 12-hour dance marathon to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation and their quest to find a cure for this genetic disease. The first dance marathon was organized by Msgr. James McMurtrie--then principal of the school--and Maura O'Donnell, whose sister had succumbed to CF not long before.

For more than 30 years, Superdance has become a uniting force at Bishop O'Connell. It raises student awareness of this little known disease, while raising more than $3 million for CF research since its inception. Over 95 percent of the student population participates in this annual spring event, bringing in pledges from friends, neighbors and family members.

Maura O'Donnell, who helped start this tradition, went on to nursing school, but also died from CF a few years later. Representatives of the O'Donnell family, and other families stricken with this disease, come each year to the Superdance assembly to help educate and inspire the students. When the Superdance began in 1975, the life expectancy for someone with CF was less than 16 years. Today that number is greater than 35.

For more information on this disease, visit the CF Foundation Web site at www.cff.org.