HuskyTHON, the University of Connecticut dance marathon fundraising organization, hosted their 2026 fundraising theme announcement event this Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fairfield Way. The event showcased HuskyTHON’s new theme for 2026, “Above All Else”, as well as new merchandise and opportunities for students to get involved.
This year’s theme was developed by Paige O’Keeffe, HuskyTHON’s vice president of communications, alongside HuskyTHON’s communications team. O’Keeffe is a seventh-semester elementary education major.
“I have a team of four other members of our communications team that work with me,” O’Keeffe said. “This year ‘Above All Else’ is what we decided on. It was really just great to give a choice back to our people, like what do they want to put above all else.”
The theme was chosen to give power back to the patients of Connecticut Children’s as well as their families, according to O’Keeffe.
Connecticut Children’s is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that aims to provide care for children. According to the Connecticut Children’s website, they take on new patients under the age of 21. Additionally, the hospital continues ongoing cancer care programs with options running until patients are 30.
Connecticut Children’s is located primarily in Hartford, but has several additional hospitals in Glastonbury, Waterbury, Manchester and South Hadley in Massachusetts. Connecticut Children’s has a history of working alongside UConn; the Manchester location acts as the department of pediatrics’ teaching hospital at the School of Medicine.
According to HuskyTHON’s website, HuskyTHON is one of the nation’s top 10 dance marathon organizations and is the biggest dance marathon organization in the Northeast. Last year, the organization raised $2,102,853.03, continuing their eight-year streak of donating over a million dollars each year.
HuskyTHON is run and administrated entirely by UConn students, and all the proceeds go towards Connecticut Children’s.
Alyssa Piccoli, the executive director of HuskyTHON, said that “the people” are the best part of the organization.
“They’re amazing,” Piccoli said. “We each have our different interests and passions, but we’re all here doing the same thing together, which to me is so special.”
In a message posted on the HuskyTHON website, Piccoli summarized the goals of HuskyTHON.
“As children and their families face the unimaginable challenges of childhood illness, we continue to dance, fight, and believe in a brighter tomorrow. We will continue to participate in HuskyTHON until there is a day when no child suffers from childhood illness and no family faces that journey alone,” Piccoli’s message read.
HuskyTHON is running more interest events this week, including the annual Fall Fest event from 1 to 4 p.m. on Fairfield Way on Friday, Oct. 17, as well as the Third Annual 5k Marathon on Fairfield Way at noon on Oct. 19.