Completely void of caffeine, about 60 St. Charles North High School students stayed on their feet for 12 hours, devoting their time and tired legs to the Illinois Special Olympics program.

During Saturday’s fourth annual dance-a-thon, “Project Dance,” the students hoped to help raise funds and awareness for the program, vowing not to sit, leave the school or have caffeinated drinks for the whole 12 hours.

Students weren’t required to remain dancing for the entire 12 hours, but were asked to stand. When the teens weren’t on the dance floor, they played video games, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.

“We kind of asked them to push through a little discomfort because Special Olympians have disabilities they deal with every day and that they can’t just turn off,” St. Charles North English teacher Shannon Mulder said.

North has 21 Special Olympics athletes, including junior Amanda Propheter. Propheter, a swimmer, will compete in the backstroke, freestyle and relay at the state competition in Normal June 13 through 15. Propheter won the regional competition at Nequa Valley High School in Naperville on March 5 in those events.

Students at St. Charles North, St. Charles East, Geneva and Batavia High Schools compete in the Northeastern region of the Special Olympics Illinois program. Each region hosts 22 athletic events annually, including a bocce competition May 3 in Batavia and the Great Western half marathon May 4 in St. Charles.

Students sold T-shirts to help raise money and provided a table for donations. Since the program began in 2005, students have raised $83,000 by taking door-to-door donations, sending out letters and selling candy. D.J. Custom Cuts donated its services free as well. The students have raised more than $13,000 so far this year, including funds from Saturday’s event.

Mulder said she participated in a dance-a-thon as a student at the University of Iowa and wanted to try a similar fundraising project at North. She and Spanish teacher Erin Looney chose Special Olympics as the beneficiary so students could see the direct results of their fundraising.

The event also helps students to get to know Special Olympians, many of whom are enrolled in North’s special education and vocational academic development programs.

“No one really knows them,” North sophomore Kate Kinser said. “So it’s a good way to meet them and raise money.”

St. Charles North senior Emily Rayle, who has participated in the event each of the four years, said the fundraiser is important because it helps student athletes like Propheter enjoy the same sports as other athletes.

Special Olympics is a nonprofit organization that helps organize events for more than 21,000 Illinois athletes with disabilities. Special Olympics has branches in each state and in more than 175 nations.