Vote early, vote often for UI Health’s Pink Glove video

UI Health’s video celebrates breast cancer survivors. Photo: Hossein Fatemi/UI Health Marketing

Vote for UI Health’s Medline Pink Glove Dance Competition video through Sept. 23 to help the hospital win $15,000 to donate to Imerman Angels, a local breast cancer charity. 

The competition challenges hospitals across the nation to submit a dance video raising awareness of breast cancer and early detection. The winning video will be selected from more than 150 entries and announced Oct. 2.

UI Health’s 90-second video was filmed in and around the hospital June 17 with 650 participants wearing pink shirts, wigs and soccer socks. Some danced around the Pink Survivor Cube, which represented all stages of the breast cancer journey. In the grand finale, the cube’s walls open and 11 breast cancer survivors emerge to join the dancers.

“It was exciting to see them rejoice and celebrate,” said Rachel Paus, UI Health senior coordinator of clinical service marketing. “And it was a fun idea to give our survivors a celebratory moment.”

The participants — faculty, staff, student athletes, the dance and cheer teams, breast cancer survivors, friends and families, Chicago Fire soccer players and representatives from Imerman Angels — danced to Mandisa’s “Overcomer” in choreographed dance segments.

Imerman Angels is a Chicago-based organization founded in 2003 to connect cancer survivors, caregivers and patients for one-on-one support in 50 states and more than 60 countries.

Although it’s a two-week voting period, Paus urges people to vote this week, because only the top 10 videos make it to the second round Sept. 17. One vote can be cast per email account each day.

The Pink Glove Dance Competition began in 2010, inspired by a dance video made by 200 staff members at Providence St. Vincent Center in Portland, Oregon. The competition now includes more than 200,000 dancers and 524 video submissions.