Rachel Buck: Dancer Rep for Kappa Alpha Theta, the #1 Fundraising Group

 

This year, I am a dancer representative for Kappa Alpha Theta’s team, as well as a Morale Captain. Morale captains are dancers from various teams participating in HuskyTHON, and they are responsible for learning the morale dance before the day of the event, and for keeping energy and morale high the night of the event. The morale dance is ten minutes long, and is done every hour at the top of the hour to keep everyone excited and engaged. 

 

 

 

This is my third year participating, and my first year as both a dancer representative and morale captain! 

 

The first two years that I participated I was a dancer for Theta’s team. I have always wanted to be more involved in the event, and this was the first year that I have had the chance to do so. 

 

To me, HuskyTHON is all about making the miracle children of Connecticut Children’s know that they are an inspiration to all of us. It’s about letting kids be kids, regardless of what they’ve been through. The kids that come to dance with us each year have been through more in their young lives than many of us will experience in our entire lives, and this is a chance for us to give back to them and show them how much they inspire us. HuskyTHON is an opportunity for our campus to make a huge difference in the lives of so many children and families, and participating in it each year makes me so proud to be a UConn student. 

 

 

What is your favorite part/experience about HuskyThon?

My favorite part of HuskyTHON in both 2013 and 2014 was the first hour of the night when all of the kids first make their entrance. Many of these kids compare HuskyTHON to Christmas day, and to see their faces when they walk through the morale tunnel reminds me of how much this event really means. The first hour also consists of the kids going on stage and introducing themselves, and morale doing the first morale dance of the evening. The energy in the room at this hour is so contagious and I can’t wait to be a part of morale this year to start off the night. 

 

 

 

I think that every UConn student should participate in HuskyTHON in some capacity in their four years. The experiences that I have had at HuskyTHON and in the events leading up to it are experiences that have defined my college experience, and I will continue to share these stories long after I graduate. The children that I have met because of HuskyTHON are kids that have changed my perspective on how I go about my day. I think it’s important to remember that as students at UConn, we are all extremely lucky to be where we are. Everyone should be able to give up a weekend of their normal college life to dance for kids who need our support. These children look up to us as role models, and it’s important to remind them that they inspire us, too. 

 

 

Do you see yourself being apart of it after graduation?

I absolutely plan on being involved with HuskyTHON after graduation. The alumnae support is a crucial to HuskyTHON’s success each year. I look forward to donating to Children’s Miracle Network for years to come after graduation, and I hope that the alumnae involvement continues to grow as it is now. 

 

So far, Theta has raised about $25,000 for HuskyTHON 2015. Last year, we raised just under $30,000, and our ultimate fundraising goal for the year is $35,000. We are working on accomplishing this by canning in these last few days at basketball games and local grocery stores. In addition to this, we are encouraging all of our sisters to reach out to family, friends, and alumnae for their support in reaching our goal. With a team of 124 girls, we’re really trying our best to accomplish this goal!