The University of Connecticut held the 26th annual HuskyTHON dance marathon on Saturday, March 8, raising a record-breaking $2,102,853.03 for the patients and families at Connecticut Children’s.
In HuskyTHON’s 26-year history, this is the first time fundraising efforts have surpassed $2 million.
In addition to breaking fundraising records, HuskyTHON surpassed its record of over 4,700 participants, continuing to serve as the largest student-run organization at UConn and Miracle Network Dance Marathon in the country by participation, according to Izzy Casais, vice president of communications for HuskyTHON.
HuskyTHON is a year-long fundraising effort that culminates in an 18-hour dance marathon in the Hugh S. Greer Field House from 6 a.m. to midnight. Students create teams with their organizations to fundraise and get to spend the marathon with a Connecticut Children’s patient.
Patients and families from Connecticut Children’s were welcomed by the UConn community as they got to spend the day sharing their stories and celebrating the efforts of fundraising.
Brian, a patient of Connecticut Children’s, is an eight-year-old who has a cleft lip and cleft palate. His first surgery was at 10 weeks old and since then he has had eight procedures done.
“It is a nice way for Brian to connect the hospital with happy memories instead of connecting the hospital with the big scary stuff, the needles, the surgeries, and all the pain and discomfort,” Brian’s mom said.
Brian’s team was fraternity Delta Tau Delta, and he got to play and run around with them throughout the day.
“They are really kind and genuine and really just trying to make a connection… and not just us but Collete, his sister too,” his mom said.
She added that it is not only the joy of participating that benefits them, but also fundraising and support given to the hospital.
Like Brian, there were 28 other patients with their families that attended to share their miracle stories and celebrate the efforts, which Casais said is her favorite part about HuskyTHON.
“We put in the work so that they can have fun and have some time outside hospital walls,” Casais said. “It just means everything to us for them to be here today.”
Casais, who was previously a dancer, morale captain and creative director, is the vice president of communications this year, which is on the management team. The management team is a group of 32 undergraduate students who work closely to organize fundraising and lead the event.
The management team leads the morale dance each hour, where all students gather to participate in the 10-minute choreographed dance.
In addition to the management team, students can participate through a variety of levels, whether it be a dancer representative, captain, morale leader, rising leader, dancer or volunteer, which all have unique responsibilities and fundraising minimums.
Isabella Blasi, a senior dancer representative and stewardship captain, said she is proud that HuskyTHON has taught her to choose strength.
“I’m genuinely so glad I could be involved in such a beautiful movement,” Blasi said. “My siblings have undergone medical adversity throughout their lives, so it’s incredibly touching to see students like myself putting everything they can into this.”
First-year students have found their passion for the fundraising efforts too. Victoria Mlynarski, a first year HuskyTHON rising leader and Jonathan’s captain, raised over $1,600 this year and is looking forward to applying to a leadership role next year.
“Finding a community here that really appreciates it and wants to be a part of something even bigger in the future is just so valuable and so monumental, and it just makes it even more magical.” Mlynarski said.
The 2025 campaign theme was “Change the Tide,” where students worked to ‘change’ kids’ health and ‘change’ the future by providing vital support for the patient families, according to a March 9 press release.
To “Change the Tide,” students raise money through a variety of ways, such as reaching out to friends and family or canning outside stores. Alyssa Soriano, a senior volunteer, said she worked to raise money outside of Gampel Pavilion before a basketball game. As a volunteer, she said she works different roles throughout the day such as checking participants in and working at the merchandise store.
In addition to fundraising and dancing, other activities throughout the day to keep participants engaged included sunrise yoga, Zumba and minute to win it games. A performance by Wavy McGrady kept participants dancing and some decided to cut and donate their hair with Hair for Hope. Other student acapella and dance organizations performed in UConn’s Got Talent, where participants watched and the children gave them scores.
At the end of the night, everyone prepared for the Circle of Hope, where participants stand in a large circle around the field house and cut off their hospital bands, symbolizing the difference they made.
“It is so rewarding, and it just makes me feel so good and so proud of our community, of our team, of everyone that supports us, and especially the kids and families that we do this for,” Casais said.
Over the past 26 years, HuskyTHON has raised more than $15 million, making it the largest third-party fundraiser for Connecticut Children’s, according to the press release. Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to kids.