In the past, Spring semester could not compare to Fall in my eyes. My first two years of college I didn’t do much, but I did go to football games. The atmosphere at tailgate was electric, and I didn’t think UCF could get any better than it was in that moment. However, something changed last spring, and it happened when I visited a few of my sorority sisters at last year’s Knight Thon philanthropy event. Of course I had heard of Knight Thon before, if you go to UCF you have to be living under a rock if you’ve never heard of it. It’s that big annual event that raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network, and all year long there is someone with a yellow bucket outside of the Student Union begging for a dollar. Up until that point that was all I knew about it, and all I cared to know about it. I didn’t think I had time for it, but what I was really missing was passion for it. I had even seen some tear-jerking videos, but I didn’t get it until that moment. There are so many young children out there battling life threatening diseases right now. Thanks to Dance Marathon’s across the country, college students get the chance to help. Before I went to Knight Thon I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to stand for 20 hours in the middle of the semester even if it was for a great cause.
That feeling came over me again, that electric good feeling, but this time I was proud of my actions.
I was proud of everyone in that arena for what they were doing and why they were doing it. It was 4:30 in the morning and I did not want to leave, I was having a really good time. Every hour the “morale team” gets on stage and everyone dances along with them. There’s so much entertainment and energy. Miracle children are there, and their stories are shared and they all have fun with the students throughout the night. The rewarding feeling overpowers the loss of sleep and sanity.
Naturally this past fall I signed up for my sorority’s Knight Thon team and wanted to get involved as soon as possible. This year’s event marks the 20th annual Knight Thon, so I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it. The families that go to Children’s Miracle Hospitals deal with more than I could ever imagine, and I’ve learned so much about what the hospitals do for the familes in a short amount of time. I’ve already heard stories from the parent’s of miracle children here at UCF, and witnessed what Knights do for these local hospitals year around. It’s more than a one day event, UCF is for the kids every day of the year. The more involved I get, the more connected I feel to this cause and my school. Fundraising and helping generate morale has allowed me to bond with my sisters, and the UCF community as a whole.
In that one evening, in that one moment I saw how unified were as a community, and how passionate we are about making miracles happen. I am now, and will forever be for the kids.