Four people shared how pediatric cancer became part of their life story, and thanked Dance Marathon participants for their fundraising efforts, at Norris’ McCormick Auditorium on Monday night.

One was a cancer survivor and another was a mother who lost her child to the illness years ago, but all represented the purpose of DM’s primary beneficiary, the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

More than 15 NU students, along with the friends and family of the organization’s members, came to the event.

Kathleen Casey, president of Bear Necessities, shared her story through a short video, and later in person when she took the stage.

“It took a little 8-year-old to look me in the eyes and say, ‘We can do things for other kids, mom,” Casey said.

Casey founded Bear Necessities in 1992, just one year before her son died from pediatric cancer. The foundation’s name is in memory of her son, Barrett “Bear” Krupa.

Communication senior Grant Suhs spoke about his battle with cancer. He was diagnosed on April Fool’s Day during his freshman year and his mother didn’t believe him at first. But later that day they rushed to the hospital to see him.

Suhs shared his experience of fear and depression during that time, but also praised organizations like Bear Necessities.

“Although I didn’t receive anything directly from Bear Necessities, I can definitely attest to the benefit of their services,” Suhs said.

Katie O’Malley shared the story of her daughter, Kelly, who was diagnosed with a rare pediatric bone cancer during her freshman year in college.

“Suddenly you’re hit in the gut and you can’t breathe, nor can you believe that this is actually happening to your child,” O’Malley said.

Part of Bear Necessities’ work is granting wishes, from hospital bedroom sets to celebrity meetings, to children with cancer, said Emily Gotcha, a child-care specialist and part of the foundation’s medical advisory council.

“It’s really important to see how Bear Necessities brings back those kinds of things that are normal in other kid’s lives, but really a sense of normality is lost when these kids are diagnosed,” Gotha said of the foundation’s Small Miracle Program.

According to Courtney Krupa, Bear Necessities’ director of community outreach, this was the third year that the foundation applied for DM’s grant.

DM executive co-chairs and Communication seniors Krysta Kauble and Tara Corrigan said that they began with 75 proposals and narrowed it down to three organizations for their executive board to choose from.

“Students are very, very excited [and] we’ve seen a lot of income coming in,” Kauble said about DM fundraisers.

Bear Necessities representatives plan to attend the dance marathon in March.