This past weekend, the University of Delaware held its largest philanthropy event: UDance. UDance is a 12-hour dance marathon that culminates a yearlong effort to raise money for pediatric cancer. Everyday, 46 children are diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer. Last year, the University raised over $1.2 million dollars towards the cause, and this year we raised a record beating $1.7 million dollars!
UDance began in 2007 with two Greek organizations, Alpha Epsilon Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon in the Trabant Multipurpose Rooms. Two years later they paired up with The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, and UDance has grown exponentially since.
The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation was created honoring the life of Andrew McDonough. Andrew passed away from pediatric cancer at the age of 14, after fighting his battle for less than a year. The organization received its name, B+, after Andrew’s blood type, and the attitude he and his loved ones had throughout his battle.
Now, if you’re a student on campus, or an adult that frequents Main Street, you might be a little confused with all the yelling that goes on about UDance. Many ways organizations raise funds for UDance is by canning. Canning involves asking people for spare change in large public locations. Many restaurants on Main Street also participate in FTK (For the Kids) Tuesdays. If you present your waiter with a specific voucher, a portion of the total they make off of your meal will be donated to UDance. Aside from this, many students send out emails to family, friends, and even professors, asking them to donate to the cause. And after students have run out of people to email, they usually post their personal donation link on every social media form possible.
As someone who has been impacted by both pediatric cancer, and cancer in adults, I think it’s incredible how dedicated the students are at the University of Delaware to this cause. Just knowing that the money we are raising either going directly to families that have been impacted by cancer, or into research, makes me feel proud to be a Blue Hen. If you never have gone to UDance, I highly recommend you make a trip to the Big Bob. The energy, excitement, and sense of pride that can be felt within that sweaty room is unbelievably overpowering. One day, they will have a cure for pediatric cancer, and knowing that my school has made a difference in that fight is amazing.
