Since 1976, students at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington have come together annually to celebrate the long-lasting tradition of Superdance — an event aimed at raising funds and awareness aimed at finding a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF). With nearly $5 million raised over the span of 47 years, the current generation of Knights continues these efforts to support medical research on this debilitating disease, which affects the lungs and digestive system. There are 30,000 people in the U.S. with CF, according to the American Lung Association.
Superdance is a 12-hour student-organized dance marathon held each year at O’Connell. In 1976, senior Maura O’Donnell organized the first Superdance in honor of her sophomore sister, Brenda, who died in April 1975 due to CF. With the help of Maura’s friends and then-principal Msgr. James W. McMurtrie, O’Connell hosted the event in the hopes of making a difference for other families affected by this disease. Since then, O’Connell has remained dedicated to honoring the O’Donnell family’s legacy by cementing Superdance as an integral part of the O’Connell community.
At an all-school assembly last month, the theme for the 48th Superdance was revealed: “To the Cure and Beyond!” The four-hour assembly was organized by the student council and 12 student committees, and included a variety of games, videos and student-led performances. An important part of the assembly was the group of guest speakers who shared their experiences about how cystic fibrosis has affected their lives. The enthusiastic applause after every presentation made it clear that the O’Connell student body is hyped for the March 11 Superdance.
The student committees take on roles to ensure the event runs smoothly, including registration, decorating the school gym, and arranging entertainment to cover the entire 12-hour event.
In the past 47 years, O’Connell has raised $4,856,828 for this cause; the most the school raised in a year was $200,000 in 2001. This year, the school nears the $5 million mark, and the student leaders are very determined to reach that goal.
“I think it’s a really cool opportunity for (the class of 2023) to go down as the class that surpassed $5 million,” said senior Jack Sague, student council president. “The fact that we’ve raised close to that amount in 47 years is really impressive, and it shows why Superdance is the nation’s largest high school fundraiser for this cause.”
With the combined efforts of students, faculty, and generous friends and family, Bishop O’Connell will continue to fight and raise awareness until a cure for all who suffer from CF is found.
Find out more
Go to bishopoconnell.org/student-life/student-events/superdance.
