At QTHON, Quinnipiac University’s Dance Marathon, 2017 we raised over $218,000 and danced 10 hours for the children at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Not only that, but we were lucky enough to spend the day with some of these kids whose lives depended on and were directly impacted by these donations.

One parent discussed how QTHON has totally altered the way that her child acted in the presence of other people. How his life and the lives of their whole family changed from the first QTHON they attended.

QTHON is just one of many events like this. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some are about the same size, but they all have significant impacts with the messages they send to these children and these families.

I did not have a major role in this event, but just being a part of something that felt so much bigger than myself was incredible. I have seen sickness, I have seen death, but most importantly I have seen the power of love in all of that. This event and all dance marathons are purely love.

One single day can change a life; one single donation can save a life. We so often overthink the power of spending time with others. There is so much power in bringing people together in the hopes that one common goal can be reached.

I don’t mean to be tacky in any phrases that I use, but I just think that people so often don’t realize what they can do.

I looked around the room at people who shared a joy and hope that everyone can use, no matter what their situation. People who came from different organizations and lifestyles gathered in one setting, and this happens so frequently.

Though this event is an incredible inspiration for me and many others, I hope to see the day we no longer have a need for them, a day that no kid has to go through a life altering diagnosis, but still gets to feel the kind of love and joy that they felt on just that one day.

#FTK