DanceBlue Wraps up Marathon Fundraiser With Another Generous Total
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 1, 2020) — Tonight at 8 p.m., more than 900 students and thousands of spectators gathered to celebrate one of the University of Kentucky's richest traditions. With joyful hearts and tired feet, the dancers at the 2020 DanceBlue Marathon pushed through 24-hours of no sitting and no sleeping in honor of the tireless pursuit of finding the cure to pediatric cancer!
In its 15th year, DanceBlue is ecstatic to reveal its fundraising total of $2,000,190.20. While this is the largest amount raised in the history of DanceBlue, the students don't focus on how big or small the total is. They instead focus on the way that money can be used to support the children and families battling pediatric cancer in the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic.
Christina Stephens, DanceBlue marketing chair, said “DanceBlue is an entity that unifies students all across the University of Kentucky’s campus through the fight against pediatric cancer. It gives students the opportunity to become a part of something that is so much bigger than themselves. DanceBlue stands beside the kids and their families through one of the hardest situations they will ever face, providing them a community that they can lean on for hope and support."
DanceBlue is UK's largest student-run philanthropy — a year-long fundraising effort involving thousands of UK students, culminating in a 24-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon. All of the money raised by DanceBlue goes to the Golden Matrix Fund and cancer research. Since the organization's launch in 2006, DanceBlue has raised more than $17,302,043.43. for the kids, providing financial and emotional support for children and families living with childhood cancer.
DanceBlue students volunteer approximately 1,000 hours in the clinic each year. Every week, dozens of students produce smiles and laughter among patients and families during their medical visits at the clinic. Students selflessly give their time every day because of that one phrase that embodies the DanceBlue mission: "For The Kids."
DanceBlue is the University of Kentucky's 24-hour, no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon that benefits the Golden Matrix Fund. The DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic opened its brand new facility in 2017 after a complete renovation funded solely from DanceBlue. For more information about DanceBlue, registration information or to support its efforts, please visit www.danceblue.org. Connect with DanceBlue on Facebook at www.facebook.com/danceblue and Twitter at http://twitter.com/UKDanceBlue.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.