HuskyTHON is the largest student organization at the University of Connecticut, and it is a year-long fundraising effort for Connecticut Children’s that culminates in an 18-hour dance marathon in March. HuskyTHON has several push days throughout the year, which are specific days where the HuskyTHON community tries to raise as much money as possible in one day. These push days get participants hyped and contribute greatly to the total fundraised amount each year, which is revealed at Night-Of, the 18-hour dance marathon. This year, Night-Of is being held this coming Saturday, March 7. Here is a recap of the most recent push day and what to look forward to at Night-Of!
Day of strength recap
HuskyTHON held its biggest push day of the year, Day of Strength (DOS), on Feb. 25. During this push day, HuskyTHON crushed its goal for the day of $455,000 and raised a total of $517,255.90! There was a HuskyTHON hype room in the Student Union Ballroom all day with lots of fun activities and ways to fundraise. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., there were fundraising games, merch, outreach opportunities, a car smash, and snacks. Then, from 7 p.m. to midnight, there was Day of Strength After Dark. This part of the push day featured a livestream of the UConn men’s basketball game, on-stage activities, a live band, an awards segment, a DJ battle, and a fourth-year ceremony. And, at midnight, there was a reveal of the total amount of money raised on DOS!
Night-Of
Get hyped because the most fun day of the year is only a few days away! On March 7, Night-Of is being held in the UConn Volleyball Center from 6 a.m. to midnight! The day will feature lots of dancing, sunrise yoga, Zumba, a lip-sync battle, fundraising games, sunset yoga, a light ceremony, the final reveal of the total raised this year, and lots more. There will be miracle kids, which are patients at Connecticut Children’s, and their families coming to the dance marathon as well!
There are also lots of fun theme hours during Night-Of, so make sure to bring outfits and accessories to match the different themes! These are the theme hours:
- 6 a.m. – 8 a.m.: HuskyTHON
- 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.: PJ
- 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.: HuskyTHON
- 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.: UConn/Jersey
- 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Disney
- 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Crazy Hats/Wigs
- 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Golden Hour
- 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Rave
- 10 p.m. – 12 a.m.: HuskyTHON
Already Registered But Need Help Hitting Your Minimum?
These are the minimums (amount you are required to fundraise by Night-Of in order to receive your participant T-shirt and food band) for each HuskyTHON participant type:
- Dancers: $250
- Rising Leaders: $275
- Captains: $750
- Dancer Representatives: $800
- Morale: $950
Need ways to hit your minimum before Night-Of? Here are some ideas:
- Outreach to your high school teachers and sports coaches.
- Post a creative fundraiser on Instagram (ex. “if I raised $300, I will get pied in the face” or “for every $2 I raise, I will run half a mile”).
- Return bottles and cans (10 cents per soda can adds up!).
- Start a Facebook fundraiser.
Want to REgister?
It isn’t too late to register for HuskyTHON 2026 if you haven’t registered yet! Use the following link to register: https://events.dancemarathon.com/huskython26