This year has had a lot of uncertainty, and as the days go on we see that uncertainty is not going to leave us soon. However, through all the craziness of the world right now, there is one thing that is certain — the love For the Kids.

My name is Allie Holt, and I have the privilege of serving as the DanceBlue 2021 Overall Chair. Every year has its own challenges, but the passion behind DanceBlue never waivers. The passion for finding a cure, the passion for hopefully easing some of the hardship the kids and families are going through, and the passion for the DanceBlue community on UK’s campus and beyond.

Because of this passion, we are able to adapt and move forward as an organization, despite the unique circumstances that the world faces. The chair team has already shown their resilience throughout the summer where they have all been working hard in their own ways, whether it be figuring out how we will have a presence in the DanceBlue Clinic without actually being there, retaining corporate sponsorships, and so much more in between. The passion that these 9 students have and their creativity to reinvent what DanceBlue will look like this year amazes me every day.

We kicked off the fall semester with hosting K Week events that led up to the first day of classes and team registration opening. We are thrilled to say that both our in-person and virtual events went great, and we are so excited to welcome students to campus.

Later this semester we will be hosting a 5K and Silent Auction. These will both be held virtually, and we are currently looking to have an in-person option for the 5K. If it becomes clear that we won’t be able to make that happen then it will transition to fully virtual. Runners will get t-shirts and spirit points regardless! By using these virtual platforms, DanceBlue has the opportunity to expand our reach across the Lexington community and beyond. We are hopeful that more alumni are able to participate in these events compared to when we only had in-person options in the past!

When it comes to the 24-hour marathon that is usually held in the spring, we are planning for a spectrum of options. That could mean a completely virtual marathon, a “normal” marathon, or one of the many different options in between. No one knows how the world will look next week, let alone next semester. With that being said, DanceBlue will have a marathon, but we aren’t sure what that will look like at the moment. If you have ever attended the marathon, you know the community that it creates and we are eager to see how we can adapt to still create this community despite everything else.

DanceBlue is ready to give the kids, families, and campus all that we have and can this semester. As I said before, nothing (not even a global pandemic) can move the unwavering passion and love we have For The Kids. I want to challenge everyone, including myself, to have patience and grace moving forward with this semester. Anyone that is trying to plan ahead is doing the best that they can with the information that is available. Try to look for the positive in situations, like still getting to make a difference in the lives of these kids and families, even though we might not be able to hang out with them in person right now. The DanceBlue community has the opportunity to be a light to not only the kids, but to all of campus, Lexington, and beyond.