This years HuskyTHON aims to out do last years impressive fund raising efforts (File Photo/The Daily Campus)
It’s almost time for HuskyTHON: Clubs, fraternities, sororities and other individuals will be coming together this weekend to dance for 24 hours, fundraising for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford.
This year is especially exciting for the groups supporting the event, as they are hoping to exceed the total of over one million dollars raised by HuskyTHON last year. This is one of the biggest fundraising events for the hospital, as well as a big campus event, so the pressure is on.
As bewildering as the event may seem to students both on and off campus, HuskyTHON — with all of its Instagram posts, media pushes and student begging — is vital to the CCMC as well as the University of Connecticut itself. Not only is the money raised for a good cause and the event increases UConn’s reputation nationwide, but HuskyTHON is a big part of campus culture every spring semester.
Think about the event: Thousands of students, each of whom has raised hundreds of dollars throughout the preceding weeks, stuck standing around and moving for a full day. To many, this sounds like hell, but a significant portion of campus does it regardless. While it is easy to say that this is all done by the goodness of each individual’s heart, there is a reason for the spectacle of the event, rather than some quiet fundraising attempt for CCMC: Campus morale. Students involved have been talking about the event for weeks, both by asking for donations/sponsors and by preparing or being generally excited.
It really is a unifying event for the campus. It pulls together students from all majors and all groups around campus. They can talk and dance and have fun together for a good cause. They can raise the reputation of our school, not just as an institution but as a community of learners.
In essence, it is very difficult to see anything wrong with HuskyTHON. Is the idea a bit silly? Sure, but so are telethons of old, where a network would broadcast various events while having people call in to donate to a cause. HuskyTHON is a good experience that happens for all the right reasons and makes UConn and its community look that much better. What’s not to love? So, consider dancing for HuskyTHON in your time at UConn, or at least consider supporting such a well-meaning cause.