At the beginning of last semester, I created a list of all I wanted to experience at the University of Connecticut before graduation in May. At the top of my list was HuskyTHON, an annual year-long fundraiser at UConn that culminates in an 18-hour dance marathon. Raising funds and awareness for Connecticut Children’s Hospital, HuskyTHON is the largest Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon in the Northeast and invites patients and their families to the annual event. This year, HuskyTHON’s theme was Above All Else, highlighting 4,800 UConn students’ commitment to rising above limits.
On March 8, I completed No. 1 on my list after $800 was donated individually and $10,000 was donated by the Her Campus HuskyTHON team. After 18 hours of dancing and celebrating, UConn raised a record-breaking $2.2 million for the patients and families at Connecticut Children’s. With about 10 hours spent at the event spending time with team members, experiencing signature traditions like the morale tunnel and circle of hope, and learning the dance done every hour (and performing the dance badly, unfortunately), I’m so grateful for my first HuskyTHON. Although I won’t experience a second, third, or fourth HuskyTHON, I can’t wait to see the future success of HuskyTHON participants. Here are three reasons to participate in HuskyTHON 2027 (and beyond)!
1. The energy, above all else
One thing that was a constant throughout the entire day, even after 18 hours of dancing, was the energy of HuskyTHON. Arriving right when the doors opened at six a.m., I assumed I would see lots of yawns and sleepiness, but everyone was energized and excited to start the 18-hour push. This energy was continued throughout the morning during the initial awards ceremony, sunrise yoga, and the morale tunnel.
My favorite event of the morning, a true energy-creator, was the morale tunnel. This special event happens right as the patients of Connecticut Children’s and their families arrive. Creating a “tunnel” with students and participants on each side, each child and their family are met with cheers (and some tears, at least from me) as they walk on the path to the stage.
Another great energy booster of the marathon was power hours, where donations were matched at certain times throughout the 18 hours. With the spontaneity of the hours and the opportunity to donate double the money, these power hours kept the energy up. Combined with the morale dances every hour, I was surprised to see how energetic all the dancers and HuskyTHON leaders were.
The last moment of energy at HuskyTHON 2026 was the rave hour, right before the circle of hope. This hour, packed with dancing and singing, was the final push before the final moment of the marathon. At first, I was worried about having enough energy to dance, but the contagious enthusiasm within the building kept me up on my feet.
2. the celebration, above all else
Another reason to participate in HuskyTHON next year is for the celebration of the participants, and the money and awareness they’ve raised, along with the miracle children and their families. Most importantly, it’s an amazing experience to celebrate the resiliency and bravery of children who have to spend their days in Connecticut Children’s Hospital. Within the 18-hour marathon, the celebration of the kids — like Her Campus and Alpha Epsilon Phi’s miracle child, Dalia — was reflected in their smiles and joy as they celebrated their special day.
One celebratory element of HuskyTHON was theme hours, where participants dressed up in outfits matching themes like Disney Hour and Jersey Hour. With winners being announced every hour, it was fun seeing everyone dressed up in wigs or pajamas. Another awesome perk for dancers and participants is free food, including Playa Bowls for breakfast and pasta for dinner during this year’s HuskyTHON. There were also food trucks, including Lizzie’s and Chick-Fil-A, with proceeds benefitting the fundraiser. Between dancing and eating, dancers and their miracle children played mini-golf with an indoor mini-golf course. Walking around, I also caught a glimpse of a miracle child happily knocking down towers of blocks with HuskyTHON dancers.
3. the children, above all else
Most importantly, I think the best reason to participate in HuskyTHON is for the miracle children and all the patients of Connecticut Children’s Hospital. One of my favorite moments of HuskyTHON was right after the morale tunnel, when each miracle child shared a word on-stage that reminded them of their strength. My favorite was from Dalia, who shared that her word was “unapologetic.” As a warning, moments like these might make you cry (or maybe it was just me).
Another moment that was super emotionally powerful was the Circle of Hope, an hour before the final reveal. Forming a circle near the main stage, dancers and HuskyTHON leaders spent time reflecting on the fundraiser while cutting off their participant bands. Cutting off these participant bands, which resemble the hospital bands that miracle children wear, symbolizes the hope that in the future, no child will have to spend a day or night in the hospital.
So, above all else, you should participate in HuskyTHON for the energy, celebration, and the miracle children whose lives will be transformed with the millions of dollars raised. I can’t wait to see what the future of HuskyTHON holds and the transformational impact that the UConn community will generate.