Being from Kentucky, I had always heard about DanceBlue, even when I was at a high school an hour away from Lexington. I knew DanceBlue was a dance marathon that lasted 24 hours, and I knew the organization had raised millions of dollars over the past 15 years, but I had no idea what
After every DanceBlue dance marathon I’ve participated in, I’ve heard the words “DanceBlue never stops”. In both the recent years I’ve spent as a part of DanceBlue and before then, I’ve seen this statement proven to be true over and over again. While in utero, I was diagnosed with a tumor on my kidney.
Before coming to the University of Kentucky, I knew very little about DanceBlue. During my freshman year, I went to cheer on my friends that were participating in the marathon, and I was completely enamored by the positivity and hope that emanated from each and every person at the marathon. From that moment on,
While scrolling through your social media, you may see an abundance of students asking for donations for DanceBlue. When you see these posts, it is important to understand why college students ask everyone they know to donate to this organization. In my three years of being on the DanceBlue Committee, I have seen students ask
DanceBlue could not be possible without the work of so many dedicated people. The Assistant Director for DanceBlue and The Center for Community Outreach (CCO), Abby Essinger, is one of these people. Since starting this job in July, Abby has jumped right into it, advising the student leaders of the CCO as well as the
The concept of DanceBlue started as a request from the late Jarrett Mynear as one of his final wishes. Jarrett was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma at age two, had his leg amputated at age three, and then was diagnosed six times with various forms of cancer by age thirteen. After much time spent in the
Big events like DanceBlue don’t just happen overnight. They take months of careful planning by dedicated workers. In DanceBlue’s case, these dedicated workers consist of Dancers, Team Captains, Committee members, Coordinators, Chairs, Advisors, and more. Each of these groups of people has a role that contributes greatly to DanceBlue as a whole, and each person
I was first introduced to the idea of DanceBlue at the age of 14-years-old at West Jessamine High school, only 10 miles down the road from UK. One of my family friends who was a couple years older than me decided to start a mini marathon at our school, so I went to support
DanceBlue is an organization that encompasses so many more people than just current students. University of Kentucky alumni that participated in DanceBlue both as dancers and on Committee, also known as DanceBlue alumni, continue to support and be impacted by the work that the organization does. One such DanceBlue alumni is Cameron Sedlar. Cameron Sedlar
The DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic has so many people that have helped it become the successful resource it is today. From volunteers to employees, every person that steps into the Clinic impacts it in a different way. One such employee, Elizabeth Henderson, is proof of this. Henderson is the Administrative Support Associate and
