In the summer of 2021, Fr. Dan Pacholec of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Westfield was inspired by South High Marathon Dance (SHMD), a long-running student-led fundraiser in New York that has raised more than $12 million for local charities. Wanting to bring that same spirit to Western Massachusetts, he gathered local volunteers and, with guidance from the SHMD team, founded what became the Western MA Charity DanceAthon.

After months of intense planning, we hosted our first event in February 2022, which lasted only four hours that evening, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This private event hosted about twenty high school students for a night of dancing and games, which ended in a presentation of $16,500 to our first recipients, Rick’s Place and KEVS Foundation.

Based on what we learned, our team spent the next year fundraising and spreading the word ahead of our first public 25-hour event in February 2023, which sparked a new chapter of growth for our organization. Attendees from that event, as well as other locally recruited students, joined our Youth Team to help expand our impact throughout the community. That fall, we received our 501(c)(3) designation, officially recognizing us as an independent organization.

As our team grew, we heard feedback from the youth that shaped our next steps. In talking with them, they told us that dances weren’t really the thing that inspired them to get involved or attend our events. In fact, it was the energy. It was the combination of the friendships, games, check presentations, and sense of belonging that created the feeling of doing something that actually mattered.

With this knowledge, we decided to change the name of our signature event to become an “all-nighter” – a term that allows us to lean into the fun, energy, and games while retaining our original vision. We leaned into our new "all-nighter" concept over the next few years, allowing us to grow and in 2025 surpass a cumulative $100,000 raised.

Most recently, we’ve hosted our largest all-nighter (100+ attendees, $38,000 raised, and a new venue) and have increased opportunities for youth to engage with local charities, present their ideas to our Board, and help promote our work in their schools. In mid-2026, we made the decision to invest in a reimagining of our brand to best align with our long-term goals. Now, we find ourselves as “Youth for Change,” still doing what we first intended to.

While our name has changed, our purpose hasn't. What began as an idea has quickly grown into a team of volunteers and young people across Western Massachusetts who are discovering that they have the power to make a difference. Youth for Change exists to help the next generation turn energy into impact, and to create lasting change in the communities they call home.