In the first few hours of HuskyTHON, one parent remarked that he thinks the event gets better and better every year. Leo Yanez, father to a patient at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, said on Saturday there were not only more participants at the 18-hour dance marathon, but it seemed there were more activities as well.

And by noon on Sunday, it was clear the event was elevated to new heights for one more reason: HuskyTHON had surpassed last year’s fundraising total by over $100,000, raising over $560,000 for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Here you’ll find a collection of tweets and photos from the event. It’s the ultimate “In Case You Missed It,” so much so that you might even feel like you were there…minus the sore back and tired feet.

Hardly fifteen minutes before the kickoff on Saturday, March 7, a long line of participants made their way into the Field House, where dancers and morale captains would spend the next 18 hours.

As tradition dictated, the morale captains (pictured in pink shirts) took the floor and mirrored the dance the management team performed on stage. The morale dance, comprising a number of hit songs, lasted for about 10 minutes and was performed at the top of every hour throughout the event.

Patients from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center – this year’s group of “miracle children” – were honored one by one.

The UConn Cheerleading Team took the stage and taught attendees two of their signature cheers before inviting participants onstage for a dance-off.

WHUS Radio spoke with parents of children who had spent significant time at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The mom of one first time participant said she was overwhelmed at the amount of time and care UConn students put into the event.

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Lorraine Williams, mother of the boys below, said she hoped when it was time for her kids to go to college that they would choose UConn.


Participants spoke with WHUS reporters throughout the night, explaining why they chose to dance and what was keeping them motivated from 5:00 p.m. until noon the next day.

(Photo by Charlie Smart)

Photo by Charlie Smart

 

(Photo by Charlie Smart)

Photo by Charlie Smart

Nearing the final moments of HuskyTHON, participants gathered in a ring around the children and families. Attendees had been given hospital bracelets upon entrance into the event and now Connecticut Children’s Medical Center patients were given scissors to cut the bands free from the participants’ wrists.

Across the country, dance marathons moved into their final hours and the total sums raised for a number of hospitals were announced.

And already there was a number of UConn students with sights set on 2016.

This report was made possible by contributions from Sylvia Cunningham, Alyssa Davanzo, Reid DiRenzo, John Ewen, Mairead Loschi, Alec Pucillo and Charlie Smart.

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