HuskyTHON Announces Fundraising Goal of $1 Million
| By
mtroiano
Each year at the University of Connecticut, dozens of organizations and thousands of students fundraise all year long for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and celebrate their efforts in the spring semester with an 18-hour dance marathon.The University of Connecticut first got in contact with Children’s Miracle Network in the fall of 1999 to get involved with dance marathons. Children’s Miracle Network worked with the students and they held their first “Husky Midnight Marathon” (now known as “HuskyTHON”) in the spring of 2000 to raise funds for the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The Husky Midnight Marathon raised over $13,000 in their first year, and has been growing exponentially ever since. In 2009, HuskyTHON reached six digits, raising over $107,000! Later in 2015, HuskyTHON raised over $560,000; and most recently in 2017, HuskyTHON raised a total of $836,174.52 For The Kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Since it’s start HuskyTHON has become the largest student-run, philanthropic event at the university.
The night of the event, patients from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center attend with their families to celebrate with the students. After enjoying a dinner with the other families, they all head to the field house where the festivities begin. Each HuskyTHON child is a paired with a team of students from UConn who they spend the night with. They play games, make crafts, and of course dance the night away! The kids are able to truly feel like kids for the night, not just patients. The students love interacting with the kids and their families and they are able to see exactly why they fundraise: to allow Connecticut Children’s Medical Center to continue to provide outstanding care to the deserving kids and families who need it most, making it that much more special and important. The following morning, after hours of dancing have passed and before the final fundraising total reveal, the kids cut the Miracle Bands off of the participants wrists to signify the hope that one day there will no longer be sick children. It is a powerful moment for both the dancers and the families.
HuskyTHON is extremely thankful for each and every donation they receive, from both new and returning donors. They are grateful for every person who helps to spread the word about this incredible cause, as well as the dancers and volunteers who tirelessly fundraise all year long. The donors and participants are the central reason for HuskyTHON’s success. Joining in in their efforts is fun and easy!
Here are some things you can do to be “For The Kids” with HuskyTHON:
Donate and fundraise: donating can be done online through donor drive. All donations are tax deductible and no amount is too small.
Support local businesses who are sponsors of HuskyTHON: Check out huskython.org to see who sponsors the event.
Attend HuskyTHON events: Other than the night of, HuskyTHON hosts other fundraising events, such as ZumbaTHON (4 straight hours of Zumba), on UConn’s campus.
Spread the word: Tell your friends about this amazing cause. Follow us on social media and share our posts on: Facebook Ι Twitter Ι Instagram
2018 is going to be a big year for HuskyTHON, as they have a goal of raising $1,000,000 for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. However, this is not something that will happen overnight and they will need all hands on deck to reach this extraordinary goal. Please consider being apart of this record breaking year with the students at UConn, and support the kids at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
The night of the event, patients from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center attend with their families to celebrate with the students. After enjoying a dinner with the other families, they all head to the field house where the festivities begin. Each HuskyTHON child is a paired with a team of students from UConn who they spend the night with. They play games, make crafts, and of course dance the night away! The kids are able to truly feel like kids for the night, not just patients. The students love interacting with the kids and their families and they are able to see exactly why they fundraise: to allow Connecticut Children’s Medical Center to continue to provide outstanding care to the deserving kids and families who need it most, making it that much more special and important. The following morning, after hours of dancing have passed and before the final fundraising total reveal, the kids cut the Mira
cle Bands off of the participants wrists to signify the hope that one day there will no longer be sick children. It is a powerful moment for both the dancers and the families.
