North Scott Senior Honors Brother Through Dance Marathon
- Madilyn Brus
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
“Dance Marathon has always been a place where I’ve felt like Ambrose has always been remembered and honored.¨
Every year, the University of Iowa raises over a million dollars at its Dance Marathon Fundraiser, and North Scott’s very own Memphis Kearney has been supporting and participating in Dance Marathon as long as she can remember. Dance Marathon raises money for children and families receiving treatment at the University of Iowa Hospital.
Dancers participating in the event must raise $400 each to be able to participate in the Dance Marathon. They do this through asking family, friends, neighbors, and even going door to door asking for donations to be added to their fundraising page. This money then goes to the University of Iowa and is used to fund research, help families pay for treatment, personal expenses, hotel fees, and funeral expenses. The 2026 Dance Marathon on Feb 6-7th helped raise over two million dollars.
Memphis and her family attend the Dance Marathon events at the U of I and at North Scott each year in honor of Ambrose Kearney, Memphis’s late brother. Ambrose Kearney was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at just three years old, which is a cancer that affects the bone marrow, and he even received a bone marrow transplant from his older brother, Parker. Ambrose fought his cancer for 4 years before passing on at the age of 7. Memphis, being just 7 months old at her first dance marathon, never got the chance to meet Ambrose. In an interview with Memphis, she says, “Dance Marathon has always been a place where I’ve felt like Ambrose has always been remembered and honored. It has never been a place where I’ve felt judged for not being able to know him.” She describes Dance Marathon as a place of remembrance, celebration, and a room full of people working together towards a common cause.
Memphis has donated her hair seven times to help make wigs for patients who have lost their hair. Memphis attended her first dance marathon at just seven months old and hasn’t missed one since. Dance Marathon is extremely special and important to her family.
Memphis is also heavily involved with the North Scott Dance Marathon and is currently the Family Liaison. She personally recognizes each North Scott child who has lost their battle with terminal illnesses, commemorates those still fighting, and congratulates those who have won. Along with this, she also helps to organize an honor room where the parents and families create a poster board honoring their departed family member's story and life. The Dance marathon event held in The PIT at the high school is great for all ages and hosts activities such as face painting, bracelet making, games, a photo booth, and, of course, dancing. The North Scott Dance Marathon is on March 28th from 6-10 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Support this awesome event, and let’s dance towards a cure.
