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Dance Blue: Its For the Kids!

DanceBlue at the University of Kentucky is a yearlong fundraising effort that involves anything from mini marathons, to fundraising nights at restaurants, to our annual 5K run! At DanceBlue, students stand for 24 hours straight, and participate in games, community service, and of course, lots of dancing! We are housed within the Center for Community Outreach, where we work with other service-based organizations such as FUSION and Big Blue Pantry. As always, all of the time and effort we put towards the marathon is For The Kids. This event was constructed together to raise money for kids with cancer.

The university of Kentucky host dance blue. They have people from all over come out and learn dances and play games for 6 hours a night. The people are on their feet all night dancing because they are raising money for kids with cancer. Jarret Myner who was born April 6,1989. He was a smart and energetic young man who made friemds wherever he went. He became a renowned humanitarian, a successful public speaker, and a local celebrity.What made Jarrett special was his undying spirit, his ability to cope with difficult, life-threatening situations, and his devotion to helping others. What made Jarrett different was that he was diagnosed with Ewin’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, at the age of two. His leg was amputated by age three and he was diagnosed with various forms of cancer six times by the time he was 13. During the finale days of his life Jared created a list of wishes ne of which was to raise funds for improving the Pediatric Oncology Outpatient Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. The first of these fundraising efforts was the Jarrett Mynear Fund. The JMF started collecting donations for the renovation of the Pediatric Oncology Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital and eventually raised 448,000 dollars. Jennifer Myner (Jarrods Mother ) and Susannah Dennome from the University of Kentucky Office of Development, with some guidance from Susannah’s daughter Carolyn, began to predict ways that the UK student body could become involved with supporting the pediatric oncology clinic.They got an idea from Penn State University’s THON, the largest student run philanthropy event in the world and benefits the Pediatric Oncology Program at Hershey Medical Center, from Carolyn, Jennifer and Susannah believed that a dance marathon at the University of Kentucky was an ideal fit. After finding support from the Office of Student Involvement, and presenting the idea to several campus organizations, the dream of DanceBlue was realized. In its first year, DanceBlue was able to raise $123,323.16 for the Golden Matrix Fund and the Markey Cancer Center, breaking all fundraising records for a first year dance marathon event. From there, the remarkable students from the University of Kentucky, with the incredible inspiration from Jarrett, the unwavering support from Jennifer Mynear, Susannah and Mark Dennome as well as the Center For Community Outreach, DanceBlue has become the largest philanthropy event in the South Eastern Conference and one of the fastest growing dance marathon’s in the entire United States. In 2016, DanceBlue raised a record $1,631,067.49 the most that DanceBlue has made yet. Every year they hope and dream to continue keeping the statistics at danceblue rise year after year.

DanceBlue has completed a $1.225 million pledge over the last 4 years t fully fund the construction of a new pediatric hematology/oncology clinic. This new clinic will be able to better serve the needs of our families and will provide greater access across the state. DanceBlue has many different activities and things that go along with it that you can get involved with. They have a program that is called adopt-a- family program which offers you a chance to meet a wonderful family and gain a relationships with the family who is experiencing having a child with cancer. In addition to being a supportive force for the family, your interaction will also open your eyes to the battles families face on a daily basis when fighting cancer. It is our belief that the insight you gain through the founding of this relationship will facilitate a sense of understanding and compassion for your family, which will cultivate the establishment of a deeper connection between your partnership that will provide comfort, encouragement, strength, and hope for your family and child battling cancer.

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