John F. Kennedy once declared that “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” In other words, children are some of the most precious human beings in the world. But unfortunately, some of these children are suffering from rare diseases and spend much of their lives in hospitals such as Connecticut Children’s. No child deserves to be trapped in a hospital and fight a disease that’s trying to kill them. Because of that, organizations like HuskyTHON exist to raise money in hopes that children will never have to step inside a children’s hospital again.
HuskyTHON is the future of these children. It needs people like you to help accomplish this future. HuskyTHON may sound daunting at first, but these seven reasons will prove just how important it is to advocate for these children and help free them from the anguish they’re facing.
1) You’ll Take Part In Saving A Beloved Community of Children
There’s nothing more critical about HuskyTHON than its mission to save as many Connecticut Children’s patients as possible. Last year, over 144,646 children were cared for at Connecticut Children’s. All 144,646 of these children could’ve been doing exciting things. They could’ve visited the Disney princesses at Disney World. They could’ve lived in their homes and gone to school. They could’ve spent the afternoons and weekends riding their bike or playing at the park. But instead of doing these things, they had to lie in a hospital bed, fighting a potentially fatal disease.
No child deserves to be hospitalized. Not even for an hour. These children deserve to be children, not patients. As Kay Redfield Jamison once said, “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
Every day, HuskyTHON works hard to fulfill Redfield Jamison’s quote. By joining HuskyTHON, you can help fulfill that quote. You can contribute to helping keep these innocent children out of the hospital and letting them have the playtime and freedom they deserve.
2) You’ll Join An Awesome Group
The Connecticut Children’s patients are by far the most significant element of HuskyTHON. However, HuskyTHON is also about the people who are a part of it. By joining it, you become a part of a community comprised of over 4,000 students who are all excited to fundraise and dance for the children. If you’re a freshman and are looking to make new friends, HuskyTHON’s the way to go.
HuskyTHON has hundreds of teams that you can join. If you’re a part of an organization that has a HuskyTHON team, join it! Not only will you bond with people you already know, but you’ll meet new people as well. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can join HuskyTHON Rising Leaders, a team where you’ll develop some early leadership experience in HuskyTHON. Other leadership opportunities include Dancer Representatives, Morales, Captains, and the Management Team. Regardless of what group you join, you’ll find people who are willing to help you fundraise and become your closest friends.
3) You’ll Take On Many Challenges (In A Good Way)
HuskyTHON may be a riveting journey, but it’s also a challenge. In HuskyTHON, you’re expected to raise a certain minimum depending on your position. The minimums are listed below.
- Dancers: $250
- Rising Leaders: $275
- Captains: $700
- Dancer Representatives: $800
- Morales: $950
On top of reaching your minimum, you’re expected to attend attend Night-Of, an 18-hour event that includes a lot of dancing and participation in activities such as meeting some of the Connecticut Children’s patients, sunrise yoga, and Power Hours where you can raise more money.
HuskyTHON may have a lot of challenges, but that’s not a bad thing! Taking on a lot of challenges means you’ll be able to acquire new skills, push yourself to succeed, and become a much stronger person! By successfully reaching the minimum and completing all 18 hours of Night-Of, you’ll feel more determined to take on even more difficult tasks.
4) It’ll Be A Nice Way To End Boredom
Do you ever find yourself staring at a blank wall while thinking to yourself, “I have absolutely nothing to do right now. What can I do to pass the time and get rid of this crazy boredom?” Well, if you join HuskyTHON, you’ll have something to end that boredom! Say it’s February, and you haven’t reached your minimum yet, you can always go out and do some canning. If you’ve reached your minimum, why not raise some more money? The more money you raise, the more lives you’ll help save. Or, if you don’t feel like raising money, you can always reach out to your HuskyTHON team or attend one of HuskyTHON’s events. Whatever you choose to do, HuskyTHON will allow you to fill any empty space you have in your planner or calendar.
5) It’ll Benefit Your Resume And Career Experience
Do you want to work with kids in the future? Do you plan on working in a children’s hospital such as Connecticut Children’s? Well, HuskyTHON is a superb way to gain some experience in those career paths! By joining it, you’ll have the opportunity to meet Connecticut Children’s patients, hang out with them, and support them. Employers love seeing organizations that encompass similar qualities to them on your resume. So, adding HuskyTHON to your resume will definitely embellish it!
Even if you don’t plan on working with kids, HuskyTHON will still be a marvelous touch on your resume. Employers, graduate programs, and internships admire seeing people who are involved in organizations that require dedication, teamwork, and spirit. By joining HuskyTHON, you’ll be able to add an array of skills such as dedication, fundraising, communication, selflessness, and teamwork to your resume. Plus, if your resume is lacking experience, HuskyTHON will be an excellent organization to add to that section!
6) It’ll Brighten Your Personality
HuskyTHON is an incredible organization that’ll enhance your resume. But it’ll also vivify your personality and allow you to acquire some new traits. When you fundraise, you’ll obtain skills such as communication, teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. When you attend Night-Of, you’ll obtain traits such as grit and courage since you’ll be spending 18 hours dancing and doing other activities.
When I joined HuskyTHON, I was relatively shy and unwilling to reach out to anybody to raise money. But thanks to the support I got from my peers, I became more comfortable texting people for donations, and I became much stronger at handling all-nighters and staying up for an extended period of time.
No matter how social or how comfortable you may be, fundraising and reaching out to people during your HuskyTHON journey allows you to become a more beautiful and remarkable person once you raise enough money and finish your first Night-Of.
7) And Best Of All, You’ll Be A Spectacular Role Model For Connecticut Children’s Patients
Every day, hundreds of thousands of Connecticut Children’s patients undergo pain and suffering due to the hardships they face in their lives. They need people to inspire them to keep going and continue being the wondrous children they were born to be. As a member of HuskyTHON, you’ll do that! By joining HuskyTHON, you’ll embark on an arduous journey like the patients. When you strive to reach your minimum and take part in Night-Of, you may become stressed, tired, or frustrated. But when you successfully complete this journey, you’ll be able to prove to the kids that anything is possible. You’ll be able to show them that while pain is an agonizing feeling, it’s one that can be crushed and transformed into happiness. If you join HuskyTHON, you can be a role model to these kids and inspire them to unleash the robust strength they have.
HuskyTHON is so much more than just an organization. HuskyTHON is where you grow, develop new vibes, and inspire Connecticut Children’s patients to not let their illnesses or disabilities stop them from living the lives they’re meant to live.
HuskyTHON needs you. It needs you to raise money, dance, and hang out with the patients. It needs you to do all these things so that someday children will never have to sacrifice their childhood to spend a night, a week, or a year at a hospital. HuskyTHON wants children to never have to worry about illnesses or hospitals. And it can’t accomplish that without you. So, don’t hesitate to join it!
For more information, visit the HuskyTHON and Connecticut Children’s websites.