Meet KC Philpott
Year: Senior
Major: Human Development and Family Studies
KC pictured second from the left.
How did you first get involved with HuskyTHON?
I first got involved with HuskyTHON through an organization that was the notorious “top fundraisers.” I was surrounded by 100+ women whose drive and energy FTK was contagious, so it’s no wonder I became so in love with the event so quickly. My first year I was a dancer, second year a morale captain, and for my final year I’m lucky enough to be on the 2015 Management Team.
Out of all the positions, why did you run for Co-Director of Hospital Relations?
Helping and working with families has always been my passion. Pairing that with the HuskyTHON children seemed like a dream come true, and I was blown away when it became a reality back in April. I formed a special relationship with a director of CT Children’s, Scott Organek, a couple years ago and he is our main liaison. Having the honor of working with him for 11 months alone was enough to sell me on applying, and I have gained so much since then.
What does the job entail?
I work closely with my co-director and Scott each week to ensure that our 42 HuskyTHON families are comfortable, protected, and most of all HAPPY! Throughout the year we invite the families to special events on campus that fundraise and get us pumped for the big day – March 7th! We schedule bi-weekly Game Nights at CT Children’s which is a unique opportunities for those with HuskyTHON leadership positions to go to the hospital and play games with the inpatients for a couple of weeks. We also created a “Kid’s Corner” for the night of, had each team send the children surprise videos last week, and involved our Dancer Reps in the process much more than ever before!
KC on the right.
What is your favorite HuskyTHON memory?
My favorite HuskyTHON memory was last year when we raised over $457,000 FTK and absolutely crushed 2013’s total. This year, we had some pretty big shoes to fill and up against a lot of odds. I am confident to say that my NEW favorite memory will be 2015’s total reveal on Sunday morning when we break more records and hopefully break half of a million dollars!!!!
Any advice for those participating in HuskyTHON this year?
GO ALL OUT! Do every theme hour, raise every penny you can, and tell everyone you know that’s not signed up to stop by. This event is so much bigger than ourselves as individuals, teams, and even as a university. CT Children’s literally could not survive without donors like us. We are the 2nd LARGEST event that provides the hospital with the financial means to get these kids healthy again. It’s easy to feel like you are “just one” of the 2,400+ dancers. But trust me when I tell you, every dollar, dancer, and smile means the world to every family that enters the hospital. We are SAVING LIVES of the children in our state and it is incredible. There is not one person that hasn’t been stricken with some sort of family or children illness throughout life. It’s because of the people like us who provide the comfort for these ordinary families in extraordinary situations. We do it For The Kids!!!
Photographs courtesy of KC Philpott.