Nathan Grabner, management major from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was one of 20 seniors honored with the award on May 2. The Miracle Network Dance Marathon leadership award is given to someone who makes “an exceptional impact within their dance marathon program.”
Grabner has been a participant in the local campus marathon five times starting in 2014. He started as a dancer; moved to morale committee member; fraternity outreach chair; fraternity, sorority and cooperative life outreach exec member; and in 2018 is vice president of external relations. He’s raised more than $6,500 along the way.
The Miracle Network, supports research and treatment of patients diagnosed with childhood diseases at one of the 170 children hospitals nationally.
The Purdue University Dance Marathon is held for 18 straight hours each fall and involves more than 1,000 dancers raising money and awareness of the needs of the Miracle Network. It directly benefits Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and has raised more than $1 million in each of the last five years.
Within the fraternity, Grabner has been historian, social director and recruitment chairman. He also rode in the 2016 Journey Hope, a 3,600-mile cross-country cycling trip raising money and awareness for people with disabilities in conjunction with the Ability Experience.
Grabner is a management major who will graduate in December. He hopes to work in consulting.