HuskyTHON at the University of Connecticut is a year-long fundraiser for Connecticut Children’s, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, culminating in an 18-hour dance marathon in the spring. Every year, HuskyTHON has a different campaign. The campaign is a theme that captures the mindset for the year. This year’s campaign is Above All Else, which is all about lifting others up and rising above challenges.
THE MEANING BEHIND THIS YEAR’S CAMPAIGN
The campaign for HuskyTHON 2026 is “Above All Else.” Paige O’Keeffe, a senior elementary education major and Vice President of Communications for HuskyTHON, created this year’s campaign along with the rest of the HuskyTHON Communications Team. She reflected on campaigns from previous years to get inspiration.
“Having worked closely on the 2025 campaign Change the Tide, I felt deeply connected to its nod to the ocean and its message of collective strength. From there, I reflected on 2024’s, Build the Moment, its connection to HuskyTHON’s roots, and the moments that have shaped where we are today. I also found meaning in how it aligned with Connecticut Children’s new eight-story clinical tower, a symbol of growth and impact,” O’Keeffe said. “Looking back further to 2023’s Go Beyond, I realized we had explored nearly every part of our world: the ocean, the ground, even outer space, but never the sky. The sky has always inspired me, with its openness, its light, and the hope it represents.”
The campaign release took place on Oct. 15. To celebrate, HuskyTHON posted a campaign release video was posted on Instagram, and members of the HuskyTHON Management Team were at tables on Fairfield Way selling merch, sharing information about the new areas being built at the hospital, and informing students about HuskyTHON and its purpose.
Above All Else is about breaking through the clouds and rising above limits and challenges.
“Our participants rise above doubt, limits… they give their time, energy, and hearts not for recognition but because they believe in something bigger than themselves. They lift others, push boundaries, and prove that one community can truly change kids’ health and the future,” O’Keeffe said. “To put HuskyTHON Above All Else is a choice, one made every day by our dancers, captains, morale team, dancer representatives, and [HuskyTHON Rising Leaders]. They rise to every challenge and keep their eyes fixed on a horizon where no child faces illness alone.”
WHAT DOES THE 2026 CAMPAIGN MEAN TO YOU?
Paige Dwyer, a senior physiology and biology major and creative director for HuskyTHON: “To me this campaign is about bringing this organization to new heights and pushing it beyond what it has been before. It is about learning from our past while looking to the future to see what it holds for our community at UConn and the patients at Connecticut Children’s. It’s about the choices you make everyday and how it shapes you and the people around you, and choosing everyday what you will put Above All Else.”
Finn Eager, a senior physiology and biology major and the director of merchandise for HuskyTHON: “To me, this campaign means pushing myself further for the things that matter most to me. Keeping a great circle of friends, family, and community around me are all part of the things that I put Above All Else.”
Maxine Lapine, a junior finance major and director of marketing for HuskyTHON: “This campaign is a culmination of all of the things that best describe HuskyTHON. It’s about putting others as well as their needs before yourself, going the extra mile, staying the extra hour, raising someone else above yourself even when it’s difficult. Luckily, we have the privilege of doing all of this fighting, raising, and pushing alongside an inspiring and vibrant community that makes this year’s worth of hard work feel like such a rewarding experience and so much fun each day.”
Amanda Martindale, a junior digital media and design major and director of media for HuskyTHON: “To me this campaign is the fight behind childhood illness. When you get that diagnosis the only thing you want to do is crumble and fall down but you need to rise, put hope Above All Else, and keep fighting towards a brighter day.”
GRAPHICS AND MERCH FOR THE CAMPAIGN
Each HuskyTHON campaign has specific graphics and visuals it uses for social media posts and merch.
“We loved anything that highlighted being in the sky (paper airplanes, balloons, kites), but I think the hot air balloon stood out to all of us. The logo for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is a hot air balloon, so having our own spin on it too just seemed fitting,” Dwyer said.
As for the campaign merch, Eager said he incorporated elements like kites, hot air balloons, mountains, and the rising sun into his designs. He also used a color palate that he felt fit with the campaign.
“I tried to go for lighter pastel colors that fit the scenes that come to mind when you think of our campaign. Blue skies and the sun beyond the clouds are the vibe that I wanted to capture,” Eager said.
HOW IS THE MANAGEMENT TEAM HELPING THE HUSKYTHON COMMUNITY GO ABOVE ALL ELSE?
Although HuskyTHON is a large organization — last year there were over 4,000 participants — the HuskyTHON management team tries to make it easy for students to get involved, creates a sense of community, and provides many fundraising resources.
“As a member of the management team I hope to push the people who don’t think they can push anymore. I hope to encourage participants just starting off their HuskyTHON journey, or participants looking for new ways to push beyond what they had done the year before. It can be intimidating as somebody first coming into the org, so I hope to be welcoming and let everyone know that HuskyTHON has a spot for anyone!” Dwyer said.
WHAT WILL YOU PUT ABOVE ALL ELSE?
“As we dive further into Above All Else, we hope everyone will feel connected to it. Think about what you choose to put Above All Else, what drives you, what you care about most, and what pushes you to keep going. Together, let’s rise higher, dream bigger, and keep our eyes set on the sun beyond the storm,” O’Keeffe said.
This year’s campaign is asking HuskyTHON participants to reflect on what they put Above All Else. Is it family? Friends? Children’s health? Mental health? You can join HuskyTHON by registering here!