Photo Gallery: Mentor High Students Dance for 12 Hours to Raise Money for Autism

students sacrificed their body for the greater good as they danced -- some for as long as 12 hours -- Saturday at .

They did it to raise money for autism research, treatment and programming, said .

Students paid $20 for the chance to dance, as well as dunk some of their high school coaches and principals.

The -- a group of cheerleaders with special needs -- performed in the morning to help motivate the students.

, , and other administrators tooks their turns pumping up the dancers by sitting on dunk tank.

The tank malfunctioned during Krizancic's turn and he fell in repeatedly, whether the student hit the target or not. In fact, sometimes the students didn't even have to throw the ball.

Half of the money the students raised will go to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and the other half will go to Deepwood.

Kozlovich said he got the idea from a similar dance-a-thon in Eastlake. Also, he has an older brother who is autistic, according to an interview with The News-Herald.