UConn students participate in 2018 HuskyTHON (Photo by Nicholas Hampton/The Daily Campus)
Every year, HuskyTHON works to raise over a million dollars for children and families at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, one of 170 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. These hospitals treat kids with cancer, traumatic injuries and genetic diseases, according to the HuskyTHON website.
UConn students spend months raising money prior to the 18-hour dance marathon on Feb. 23. One of the biggest fundraising pushes is on the Day of Strength. On the Day of Strength, the HuskyTHON community tries to raise $150,000 dollars in one day. This year’s HuskyTHON Day of Strength is Wednesday, Feb. 13.
In 2018, HuskyTHON surpassed their Day of Strength goal of $130,000 dollars and raised $166,236, according to a HuskyTHON video on Facebook.
Lnk: https://www.facebook.com/HuskyTHON/videos/1868940069805113/
“This push makes or breaks if we hit the million and beat last year or not,” Rachel Violette, a second-semester actuarial science major, said.
Izzy Gillis, a fourth-semester marketing major and member of morale team, spoke about the Day of Strength’s importance.
“Day of Strength is the most important push of all year for HuskyTHON because the pressure is on,” Gillis said. “And it is one of last times to spread the word and raise money for that year’s HuskyTHON.”
“The fact that Day of Strength has the opportunity to raise over $150,000 in one day is super inspiring and shows everyone who has been donating and working their butt off all year to fundraise that it is all worth it,” Gillis said. “It really proves the whole ‘We are in this together’ motto when all the dancers, morale captain and management team come together to raise the max amount of money.”
“HuskyTHON Day of Strength matters because it’s a day that everyone pushes to raise $150,000 to show how powerful we are together and how amazing HuskyTHON, and more importantly Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, is,” Mitchell Lizowski, a fourth-semester digital media and design major, added.
Violette also noted how Day of Strength is “most about showing how big of a presence the HuskyTHON community has here at UConn. It’s about everyone coming together and showing what just the 3,000 of us can do for Connecticut Children’s.”
Violette said if students can do that much in just one day, imagine how much of an impact we could have on children’s medical care over time.
Kayla Sinkevitch, a fourth-semester accounting major, emphasized how the Day of Strength is one of many ways that the UConn community supports children in need.
“We want to showcase the strength of the kids on this day by really pushing for them and raising as much as we can,” Sinkevitch said.
The children that HuskyTHON benefits motivate Sinkevitch and Gillis to be involved and part of the HuskyTHON community.
“I do HuskyTHON because I think that it’s so important for us to take care of the generation that came after us,” Sinkevitch said. “Paying it forward to a younger generation that doesn’t have the resources to do what we can matters because someday they’re going to be on the other side and hopefully inspired to do the same.”
“I am involved in HuskyTHON because I have been endlessly inspired by the families of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center,” Gillis added. “The Miracle children and their families have risen above all else and so the UConn community can come together and dance all night for them. It is the most amazing experience which is why people keep coming back and more dancers sign up every year to contribute to the best night of the year!”
Alexis Taylor is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at alexis.taylor@uconn.edu.
