HuskyTHON took over room 104 of the University of Connecticut Student Union on Tuesday, Nov. 12 for their annual Unite as One Day.
According to the press release for the event, HuskyTHON is a year-long effort ran by UConn students to raise money for patients and families in the Connecticut Children’s health system. HuskyTHON’s 2026 campaign theme is “Above All Else.” Unite as One Day is one of three “push” days that HuskyTHON holds throughout the year.
“We are a yearlong fundraiser, but there’s specific days that we hone into to really push our fundraising,” said Paige O’Keeffe, the vice president of communications for HuskyTHON. In addition to Unite as One Day, the organization held Child Health Day in early October and will hold Day of Strength in February. O’Keeffe said that last year’s event generated just under $200,000, greatly contributing to HuskyThon’s 2025 fundraising total of $2,102,853.03.
“Unite as One [Day] is sort of just our fall push where we just encourage our participants to have fun and raise as much as they possibly can,” said O’Keeffe. The event, which was held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., saw room 104 decked out in balloons and streamers. Inside, different stations for participants to visit lined the walls, including the “cause connection” table which highlighted some of the children that HuskyTHON fundraises for.
“Two of the kiddos that we’re highlighting today, Junior and Michael, they both had some sort of heart condition that was treated at Connecticut children,” said O’Keeffe. Participants were invited to write on a paper heart the name of someone in the HuskyTHON community that “fills [their] heart with joy” in honor of the two kids, according to O’Keeffe.
Elsewhere in the room, the strategic fundraising table invited participants to roll inflatable dice in an attempt to win a donation match. Another table provided resources for those participating in outside fundraising, such as fundraising through family or social media.
“If our participants reach [the fundraising minimum], they can come in and ring the bell,” said O’Keeffe, referring to a bell in the front of the room, a new addition for this year’s HuskyTHON. “Then the whole room starts cheering for them.”
The fundraising minimum consisted of three different tiers: $90, $175 and $330. According to the press release, the $90 minimum was in honor of the 90 trauma-informed caregivers employed by Connecticut Children’s.
Those who reached those goals could also visit the incentives table to spin a wheel for a HuskyTHON-branded prize. Rewards ranged from keychains to chocolate bars. In addition to the prizes, branded merchandise, such as shirts and hoodies, were on sale. There was also an area serving as a photo booth with a HuskyTHON backdrop.
“I came here today because everybody was working so hard to fundraise for this day and like, for the children at Connecticut Children’s,” said Annalise Walle, a third-semester student involved in HuskyTHON. “It’s such a great energy in here just with everybody fundraising.” Walle, who is a pre-education major, said that the HuskyTHON mission is something that means a lot to her personally.
“It’s a good way to connect with other people who have the same mindset as you and want to support the same things that you do,” said Walle. “I find it really special to me because I’m going to be a teacher in the future and so working with kids is something that’s close to my heart.”
According to the press release, those interested in donating to HuskyTHON can visit their website and click on the yellow “Donate Now” button or text “UConn” to 34-984.