Participants danced to fund medical supplies at the first annual Washington State University Dance-A-Thon.

The event, which was attended by about 50 dancers, lasted for twelve hours from noon to midnight on Saturday. Fundraising was specifically intended to help women and children by going toward new hospital equipment such as a fetal heart rate monitor and a breast tomography machine.

WSU alumnus Rueben Mayes, the chief development officer for Pullman Regional Hospital and a former running back for the Seattle Seahawks, kicked off the Dance-A-Thon with a few words. After joking about his own lacking dance skills, Mayes gave way to the disc jockey.

ASWSU President Taylor Hennessey said Mayes played a large role in coordinating the event.

The mostly-female crowd danced to hits such as “Cha Cha Slide” and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.”

Some of the dancers were underwhelmed with the turnout. Freshman Chloe Salatino, who attended with her Alpha Omicron Pi sisters, said the event would have been more fun if more people had attended.

Hennessey said inspiration for the Dance-A-Thon was drawn from a similar yearly event put on by Pennsylvania State University called THON.

In 2013, THON raised more than $12 million in its 37th year. The sponsors’ hope is that the WSU Dance-A-Thon will follow in those philanthropic footsteps.

Panhellenic President Madi Phillips looked forward to the future of the Dance-A-Thon.

“WSU Dance-A-Thon started right here,” she said. “When your kids come back in however many years, you can tell them you were at the first WSU Dance-A-Thon.”