Hope-Anne Elias is a committee member on the 2019 Public Relations Committee.

Sam Grizzle is a first-year at UNC, but this isn't his first Dance Marathon rodeo.

HE: What's your CFTK background? Have you participated in any previous Dance Marathons, and if so, when?
SG: I actually participated in a dance marathon while in high school. I went to East Chapel Hill High School, and I participated in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools’ Dance Marathon. I was a morale captain my senior year, and I had so much fun, so I decided to join CFTK!

HE: What was your favorite part about participating in your past marathons?
SG: My favorite part of my high school dance marathon was when we got to do the line dance and teach it to everyone. It was so fun to show everyone what we had been working on all year. Also, just the amazing feeling that I had as we stood was so inspiring because I knew that what we were doing supported a great cause and how standing for that length of time could help someone else.

HE: What drives you to stand for 24 hours?
SG: As a child, my sister had lots of medical issues and she had to go through back surgery. I remember being in the hospital with her and basically living there and how great it was to finally go home. Reasons like these drive me to stand for 24 hours.

HE: How did you become involved in CFTK?
SG: I became involved with CFTK because of my high school dance marathon experience. I knew that when I did stood, I had found something that I loved and was passionate about. When I came to Carolina, I knew that Dance Marathon was a big event. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and make friends and memories that would last a lifetime.

HE: Do you have any pearls of wisdom for new dancers this year?
SG: I would say revel in the feeling that you’re attending this event, standing for the kids, and having fun; it’s also supporting a great cause. One of the best feelings ever is having fun and supporting an incredible cause while doing it. Around hour 20 when you might start to feel tired, just remind yourself of the reasons you're standing and why we're all here.

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The pictures shown are from Sam’s senior year in high school at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Dance Marathon. It’s so inspiring to see participants of CFTK’s outreach in the community come back full circle to UNC. Thank you for continuing your high school FTK tradition at UNC, Sam, and thank you for telling us why you stand!

Sydney Mason is a committee member on the 2019 Public Relations Committee.

Carolina For The Kids is kicking off its 21st year with a bang. This year, for the first time ever, dancers will have the option to participate in the UNC Half Marathon, a 12-hour version of the traditional Marathon, in addition to CFTK’s symbolic 24-hour Marathon!

Why a Half Marathon, one may ask? The Events Coordinator, Jane Henriques, says that when the Executive Board brainstormed ideas on how to get more participants involved in the UNC Dance Marathon, they found that one of the main obstacles that students faced was the time commitment. Although she notes that the Dance Marathon is an amazing experience and very much worth every second, “The Half Marathon is a great opportunity to still be a part of something bigger than yourself and support the patients and families at UNC Children's.”

Standing for 24 hours can seem daunting, but it’s important to remember why dancers stand and embark on the challenge. Executive Director, Bryant Gilchrist, reminds prospective dancers that “to stand for 24 hours is just a little glimpse into what patients and families go through day in and day out and to stand is symbolic of that. Standing for 24 hours is standing in support of the courageous and brave individuals we work so hard to support.”

If you still want to come out and support the patients and families of UNC Children’s and just aren’t sure you can commit to the full 24-hour event, the Half Marathon is calling your name! With the inaugural Half Marathon, dancers will participate on Saturday, March 23rd from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M., alongside our 24-hour dancers. The Half Marathon is especially a great option for those with time commitments on Friday, March 22nd, those with medical conditions that may prevent them from standing for 24 hours, and those who are interested in testing out the Dance Marathon and seeing what it’s all about.

While participants in the Marathon experience the whole UNC Dance Marathon adventure, all participants will most importantly contribute to CFTK’s mission and will get to celebrate the reveal of our year-long fundraising efforts!

For anyone who is still on the fence about participating in the 2019 Dance Marathon or the Half Marathon, Henriques points out that, “There is no wrong choice, because both options support the patients and families of UNC Children's and ultimately that is our goal!” But, whether you’re a freshman looking to get involved in something new and exciting in the Carolina community or a senior looking for a great way to finish up your time at UNC, Media Coordinator Gabriel Timotei hits the nail on the head as he states, “Our 20th year was a time to celebrate the tradition of the Dance Marathon, but this year we're ready to test out new things!”

So, Carolina students, it’s time to get excited, start fundraising, and grab some tennis balls, because this year’s 2019 Dance Marathon and Half Marathon will be here before you know it, and you definitely don’t want to miss out on either one! Register here before November 9th at 10pm to have an impact and make friends and memories that will last a lifetime!

Ryan Carp is a member of the 2019 Public Relations Committee

Never been to the UNC Dance Marathon before? If you’re thinking about signing up to dance this week, but don’t know what to expect, here is a collection of SpongeBob inspired GIFs to help give you a better idea of all the magic at the Marathon.

1. Arriving at Fetzer Gym to check-in for the Marathon

Sara Hall is a member of the 2019 Public Relations Committee.

When asked why she decided to be a member of the Morale Committee, senior Anne Whitener said there was no question; it was more like, “why wouldn’t I join CFTK?” For many years, Anne worked at Victory Junction, a camp for kids with serious and chronic illnesses, so to her, standing in the UNC Dance Marathon and serving as a committee member was a way of not only supporting the patients and families of UNC Children’s, but also her very own campers.

“My favorite part of the Marathon is the very end when we see the total for the year. It’s an incredible feeling to see how our work from the entire year all comes together.”

Even through the exhaustion during the midst of the Marathon, Anne said it’s important to remember who you are standing for. Every minute and every dollar raised directly benefits the patients and families that stand each day and show their strengthen despite every challenge. Anne encourages all UNC students especially seniors who have not danced before, and even those who have, to come out and stand for your last year. You won’t regret dancing in the 2019 UNC Dance Marathon as it will be the most rewarding 24 hours (or 12 hours) of your Carolina career.

“We are only standing for 24 hours, and the exhaustion that just a short 24 hours causes is only the tip of the iceberg for what these families experience.”

Anne chose to join the Morale Committee because it was the closest role to a camp counselor, which was her role at Victory Junction. In fact, her camp experience was why she got involved with CFTK in the first place; it just seemed like a natural fit.

As a result of dedicated committee members such as Anne, CFTK has impacted the patients and families of UNC Children’s in more ways than one, and we look forward to all of the great work that our committee members will continue to do throughout the 2018-2019 year!

Sara Hall is a member of the 2019 Public Relations Committee.

Every year, students, committee members and the CFTK Executive Board stand together for 12 and 24 hours to benefit the patients and families of UNC Children’s. Many decide to participate in the UNC Dance Marathon to face (and hopefully overcome) the challenge of standing and staying awake for the duration of the Marathon. However, the money that CFTK raises before and during the Marathon represent so much more than simply a physical and mental challenge.

Two huge beneficiaries of CFTK’s yearlong fundraising efforts are Parent’s Night Out (PNO) and the Pediatric Play Atrium on the 7th floor of N.C. Children’s Hospital. Parent’s Night Out allows committee members to deliver weekly dinners to parents of the patients of N.C. Children’s Hospital. Often these parents do not have time to leave the hospital to pick up dinner or even think about food. Therefore, they usually resort to the cafeteria food. PNO provides these parents with a hot, healthy meal without having to leave their child’s side. The families appreciate the simple act of a hot and healthy meal more than one would imagine, and they are always overjoyed when a CFTK committee member knocks on their door with a warm, fresh meal and a smile.

With the help of fundraising efforts by CFTK supporters, the Pediatric Play Atrium is able to stay open for extended hours. Scattered around the Play Atrium are tables full of arts and crafts and toys and games providing patients the opportunity to leave their hospital rooms and enjoy a few minutes of fun. The Play Atrium lets the patients take a short break from the worries of the hospital, and CFTK committee members often spend many afternoons interacting with the patients and creating themed activities around inspirational characters such as Dr. Seuss.

Without the efforts of our dancers, committee members, sponsors and donors, none of our funding would be possible. The money raised is crucial to CFTK’s mission, and we are incredibly grateful for those who allow us to fund impactful programs such as PNO and the Pediatric Play Atrium!

Last week, Carolina For The Kids hosted benefit nights at The Yogurt Pump, Purple Bowl, and Silverspot Cinema. UNC students and local residents alike braved the rain and wind of Hurricane Michael and headed out to help support the patients and families of UNC Children’s! Benefit nights are an awesome and super easy way to contribute to CFTK, enjoy a few of the great local places in Chapel Hill, and fuel your tastebuds with some delicious food and catch a movie while you’re at it!

All of the money raised through benefit nights directly supports the patients and families. These proceeds go toward expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, including gas cards for families who must commute back and forth from the hospital, the costs of staying at the Ronald McDonald House for those who have had to relocate to be with their kids, diapers for families of newborns, and much more.

Benefit nights allow us to achieve our mission and support the patients and families. We are so thankful to all those who came out and the restaurants and businesses who supported us! Make sure to be on the lookout for future benefit nights so that you can stay involved with CFTK!

P.S. You can have a direct impact on the patients and families right now by signing up to be a dancer in the 2019 UNC Dance Marathon right now at carolinaftk.org/dance!

Ryan Carp is a member of the 2019 Public Relations Committee.

On Friday, October 12th, Carolina For The Kids celebrated University Day with FTK Fest, a carnival on the Quad. With sunny skies and a cooling temperature, Friday made for a beautiful FTK Fest!

Coinciding with UNC’s 225th birthday, CFTK members and UNC students enjoyed the day by playing lawn games like frisbee and cornhole, snacking on carnival food such as cotton candy, popcorn and lemonade, snuggling with puppies, and even pieing a member of the CFTK Executive Board! The lucky pie eater was our beloved Morale Chair, Sara Pequeño.

All of the proceeds from FTK Fest will directly benefit the patients and families of UNC Children’s, making FTK Fest a celebration for UNC and For the Kids.

SM: What year are you and how many times have you participated in the Dance Marathon?

AS: I'm a senior, and I've done it twice already!

SM: Why do you participate in the 24 hour Dance Marathon?

AS: Oh gosh, there are like a bunch of reasons. I think the main one is that the UNC Dance Marathon marks the peak of our efforts. At the end of the Marathon, you get to see the culmination of all that you have done for the cause over the last year really come to life.

SM: What's your favorite part of the Dance Marathon and why?

AS: The Hedgehogs! Those little cuties come out right when you are feeling that slump of tiredness, and they wake you right up. The line dancing comes in as a close second though.

SM: What motivates you to stand up 24 hours?

AS: One day of struggle is nothing compared to what the patients and families endure, so to stand for one day means I can show my support.

SM: How you think the Dance Marathon is symbolic of the CFTK mission?

AS: Well first, we get all these students from UNC to raise the money. Yeah it seems like a task, but the value of what they are doing is beyond measure. The $200 goes a long way in helping out our cause and provides a few extra meals, a few extra groceries, or gallons of gas for someone. Additionally, to stand together with like several hundred of your closest friends, is really something unreal. They say it takes a village to support someone or something, well, here we are as an organization, a university, a community, hoping we might get to be someone's village for a little while.

SM: What is your favorite Dance Marathon memory?

AS: My first DM, I invited my friends and a couple people I had just met, to come to the talent show at the end, and they came! My friends and some strangers came to support me, but more importantly the kids and our cause, and it was so amazing. I'm still working on them to actually do the marathon with me, but baby steps.

SM: Why should other students participate in the Marathon and what can they look forward to?

AS: Other students should participate because they get to see how their fundraising efforts and their support impacts the people we serve. Everything comes full circle at the marathon and that is something that we don't often get to see. But they have so many other things to look forward to, like organized midnight snacks, and line dances you wouldn't do otherwise, and committee dances that we work really hard on. But that KCC talent show at the end, that really takes the cake. When we see those kids on stage, singing, or joking, or dancing, or anything really our hearts just melt!

SM: What about the Dance Marathon represents what Carolina stands for in terms of commitment to service and the community?

AS: I kind of touched on this, but Dance Marathon really allows students to exhibit the Carolina Way. It is our chance to show the world that we are a community that does care about our own and that we work hard to support our people, no matter who they are. Standing through the marathon marks our commitment to the patients and families. For me, doing it year after year just strengthens my dedication to support something greater than myself and to learn about the ways that I can support others.

Dance Marathon can be intimidating, and in the end, you can go back to your everyday life, but you also have gained so much of an appreciation for the commitment the patients and families have and their hardships. You've seen how your fundraising and how an organization such as CFTK impacts our community, and you've likely just spent 24 hours with a neon fanny pack, which you do grow to appreciate and will pull back out again next year for the next UNC Dance Marathon. I guess it's up to each dancer what the Marathon means to them, but no matter what, it is going to mean a whole lot.

The Carolina For The Kids family just got a lot bigger!!! During the week of September 4-7th, Carolina For The Kids kicked off September with Committee Recruitment Week. Throughout that week, the Executive Board and subchairs spoke with students in The Pit, waved posters and handed out flyers around campus to recruit new members, and encouraged students to join the largest student-run nonprofit in NC.

After a week of recruiting committee members, CFTK welcomed 352 new and returning members on to one of their 11 committees. Each committee member will directly impact the patients and families of UNC Children’s. The entire Executive Board is so excited to work with such a talented and eager group of individuals, and all of the committee members are excited to support Carolina For The Kids’ mission.

Following Committee Recruitment Week, Polina Cherkez, a junior on the Organizational Donations Committee, explained why she joined a committee her freshman year and why she continues to be a part of CFTK:

Polina joined Carolina For The Kids her freshman year to find a way to make an impact on the children at the hospital. After three years in the organization, she continues to be a committee member each year because of the people. She describes everyone in the organization as “supportive, selfless, and inspirational.” Polina has met so many new friends by being a committee member and has seen the impact that she has had on the patients and families, which is why she loves coming back each year.

As a committee member, Polina enjoys going out in the community to fundraise through canning, but one of her favorite CFTK events is Kilometers For The Kids: “I always like KFTK because its super easy to entice friends to run with you and have an impact on the organization. I love to see all the camaraderie of committee members at the race as we encourage and cheer each other on throughout the race!”

With Dancer Recruitment Week right around the corner, Polina is already super excited to participate in the UNC Dance Marathon again this year. She commented on how impactful and amazing the event is, and she hopes that all UNC students will join CFTK members by standing in support of the patients and families of UNC Children’s. “It’s an amazing 24-hours as we all have fun and stand for a purpose,” said Polina. She also really enjoys family hour because it puts everything into perspective after standing 24 hours for the kids!

When asked what she is looking forward to the most this year, Polina said, “As we welcomed so many new members into the organization, I’m most excited to see the huge impact that we, as undergraduate Carolina students, will have on the lives of so many families. It’s incredible the difference that a few students can have, and I can’t wait to share my experiences with so many new committee members.”

College students normally don’t wear pajamas when they go out on Friday nights, but a recent Carolina For The Kids event marked an exception to this rule.

On Friday, September 21st, Carolina For The Kids committee members and their friends packed the first floor of Might As Well for the 2019 UNC Dance Marathon Theme Reveal. Over 150 students attended the event, enjoying a fun night of food, drinks, and dancing in anticipation for the big reveal at midnight.

When the clock struck 12, the CFTK Executive Board lined up on the dancefloor, holding signs to spell out the 2019 UNC Dance Marathon theme; after a short video and a countdown, the 2019 theme was revealed – “Once Upon A Time!”

The 2019 UNC Dance Marathon Theme Reveal was a huge success, and CFTK members left the event excited for everything that lies ahead this school year!