Local middle school students gearing up to dance 12 hours for charity [Video]

EASTLAKE, Ohio — Eastlake Middle School students are getting ready to embark on a 12-hour dance marathon. More than 100 6th through 8th graders are committed to standing from noon to midnight without breaks or any sitting down time to raise money and learn more about autism.

For the Autism AwareNESS Dance-A-Thon, each student raises $75 in sponsorships. The students call the event “NESS,” stemming from the word awareness, which they gain when participating. The proceeds from the 12-hour marathon benefit local autism resources and initiatives.

“NESS” started in 2010 at Eastlake Middle. It is modeled after Penn State’s “Thon,” which raises money to fight pediatric cancer. Over the years, the event has raised $143,000 for autism research and programming.

The 12 hours of nonstop movement kick off with a line dance choreographed by the Eastlake Middle School staff. On April 20, you can come out and show your support …