Hits like Prince’s “1999” filled Ratner on Saturday for the annual Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for pediatric AIDS.

Participants danced from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., raising donations for each hour danced. Last year, the highest-grossing participant made $1,500.

Watches and cell phones were put away for the evening to prevent participants from counting minutes, and sitting down was prohibited.

“[The reason] we don’t just write a check is we’re making a sacrifice,” said second-year in the College Amanda Aisen. “That’s important.”

To nourish participants, lunch was served before the marathon officially began. Dancers ate dinner at 7 p.m., and there were three snack breaks throughout the evening.

The Folk Dance Society and other groups visited to teach participants new dances to break the monotony. A representative from Children’s Place, the charity benefiting from the event, was also on hand, expressing gratitude and elaborating on the details of the charity.

Reports of the music choices were positive, although many commented on the skewed ratio of women to men, with organizers estimating about 50 girls to every 15 guys.

One participant, first-year in the College Ryan Reed, attributed the disparity to a general distaste for dancing among males and to shyness in soliciting sponsors. Aisen added that the gender ratio should be used in advertising to attract more males.

The Dance Marathon is funded directly by the University and managed by the Council On Undergraduate Programming.