By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
For the past two months, dancers from 5 to 18 years old have been preparing their moves for a “Dance-A-Thon” hosted by the Portland chapter of the Dream Factory – a nonprofit organization that grants the dreams of children diagnosed with chronic illnesses.
Getting ready for Sunday’s six-hour dance marathon takes more than fancy footwork, as students at the center have been collecting donations for close to six weeks to donate to the Dream Factory, Dream Director Skip Welch said.
Tyla Haggan, a dance instructor at the Scarborough Dance Center on Oak Hill Terrace, where the event will take place, said older dancers will be able to show off their moves to an assortment of disco and 1980s music routines and they’re also planning to play some Disney themed music for the younger participants.
Christine Scammel has been on the board of directors of the Dream Factory since 2006, and is spearheading the Dance-A-Thon, which will feature prizes, food and a raffle.
“It’s a very successful and easy way to raise money and it gets the word out in the community,” she said.
 As upbeat as the Dance-A-Thon is planned to be, all proceeds collected by the dancers will help the organization support children who face serious illnesses.
Scammel said the Dream Factory “is pretty flexible” when it comes to qualifying children. Children from 3 to 18 years old who have a chronic, or lifelong, diseases such as cerebral palsy or diabetes are eligible for the program.
“Everybody knows about Make-A-Wish,” Welch, who helped found the Dream Factory’s Portland chapter in 1987, said. “But those kids who won’t qualify for their programs will usually be eligible for ours.”
Welch said while the two organizations are different, they often work together to help any child in need and will work to find the right solution for children with a specific illness.
“We are complimentary organizations and we do have overlap. There have been instances where we have referred a child to Make-A-Wish because of the need for expediency” he said.
According to a Dream Factory newsletter, the two Maine chapters – one in York County and the other in Portland – have granted 250 dreams in the past 21 years.
“We’ve sent kids to the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and of course Disney World. We pretty much do whatever the dreams are,” Scammel said.
 The average dream costs upwards of $5,000.
“Some of the dreams are more expensive than others,” Welch said.
The organization recently finished constructing a “safe room” for a boy whose low immune system made it nearly impossible for him to go outside, Welch said. What started out as a simple basement upgrade turned into an expensive renovation once they discovered mold in the walls of the building, but the dream factory “got it done anyway,” he said.
 This is the third Dance-A-Thon Dream Factory has hosted; other fundraising events included an art auction, casino night and its largest fundraiser is an annual golf tournament, Scammel said.
The Dance-A-Thon is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sunday at the Scarborough Dance Center and is open to the public. Dancers must be at least 5 years old. For more information about the Dream Factory including how to volunteer or donate, call 1-800-639-1492 or visit www.dreamfactoryofmaine.org.