$2,000,190.20 FOR THE KIDS!

This past weekend, history was made. Thousands of University of Kentucky students, faculty, alum, friends, and family gathered in Memorial Coliseum in celebration of a year’s worth of hard work and fundraising for kids of the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic. After 24 hours of no sitting or sleeping, so many fun games, a visit from the men’s basketball team, an awesome talent show from the kids that have been treated in the clinic, and a celebration of life, the total raised was revealed. In the last year, $2,000,190.20 was raised for the kids, bringing the total amount raised to $17,302,043.43!

A record-breaking number, this is the first time in the history of DanceBlue that over two million dollars has been raised in a year. DanceBlue 2020 Fundraising Chair Rebika Khanal said, “When I realized that we reached two million dollars, I was incredibly proud of my team, UK, and all the donors that made this possible. What I was the most excited about is what a great positive impact this will make in the DanceBlue Clinic and to all the families. We did it for the kids”.

Although this number is impressive, it is also so much more than just a number. The money will be used to support the children and families of the DanceBlue Clinic in so many different ways through the Golden Matrix Fund. Family Relations Chair Kirsten Richards said, “It stands for hope. That although DanceBlue has been going for 15 years now, people still have hope. People will fundraise all year round to give people the chance to have a sense of hope in the midst of chaos. That two million dollars is going to continue to change lives all due to the dedication of the students”.

DanceBlue would not be possible without the tireless dedication of so many students. Whether they served on Committee, danced, fundraised, volunteered, visited the marathon, or just supported, the passion of these students keeps DanceBlue going. “While this number symbolizes the amount of money donated to the Golden Matrix Fund, it also symbolizes the devotion to the kids by our students. I am still in awe of this year, and it’s a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put into words,” said Overall Chair Sally Martin.