Kristin Van Epps is a member of the 2020 Public Relations Committee
I stepped out of my car and was greeted with a downpour of rain- umbrella in one hand and the end of my dress in the other, I scrambled to enter The Franklin Hotel. Pushing my way through the circle sliding door, my eyes arrived at the elegant elements of the lobby. The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings and lime green couches providing a welcoming feel. As my friends and I entered the venue, we were greeted by polite executive members eager for us to enter the event. As the music filled my ears, I smiled at the people I saw in front of me. We were all here together - for the kids!
On Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Carolina For The Kids hosted its annual For(mal) the Kids. A black-tie event that was hosted at The Franklin Hotel. The event featured a cash bar, finger food, a coat check and even a photo booth! All ticket purchases went towards benefiting the patients and families of UNC Children’s.
This event provided college students of all grade levels the opportunity to participate in a formal experience while also benefiting CFTK. For the first time in the organization’s history, this year tickets sold out days before the day of the event - filling The Franklin to capacity. Women showed up in long dresses, short dresses and rompers while men showed up in tuxedos. The night was filled with laughter, dancing and happy memories.
Some highlights of the night:
The formal alone raised over $3,000 for the kids - an overall successful event for both college students and patients and families of UNC Children’s. It was an opportunity for organizational members to spend time with each other outside of meetings, celebrate one another, dress up and acknowledge each committee members’ hard work for CFTK. Executive members, committee members, dancers and their guests congregated into the beautifully decorated Franklin Hotel. As the night went on, couples danced together, friend groups took pictures at the photo booth, people enjoyed snacks and drinks and supporting a good cause.
This event was largely successful because of the amount of people willing to participate. For(mal) the Kids goes to show that support for CFTK comes in many forms - including formal! Thank you to those that attended the formal, The Franklin Hotel, and the entertainment committee that helped organize the event. We couldn’t have done it without you!
This event provided college students of all grade levels the opportunity to participate in a formal experience while also benefiting CFTK. For the first time in the organization’s history, this year tickets sold out days before the day of the event - filling The Franklin to capacity. Women showed up in long dresses, short dresses and rompers while men showed up in tuxedos. The night was filled with laughter, dancing and happy memories.
Some highlights of the night:
- A dancing circle led by some of UNC’s finest dancers (we are known for Dance Marathon, after all)
- Line dancing that allowed us to meet new people
- Cute pics from the photo booth to capture the memories
- A reminder of why we’re here: the patients and families of UNC Children’s
The formal alone raised over $3,000 for the kids - an overall successful event for both college students and patients and families of UNC Children’s. It was an opportunity for organizational members to spend time with each other outside of meetings, celebrate one another, dress up and acknowledge each committee members’ hard work for CFTK. Executive members, committee members, dancers and their guests congregated into the beautifully decorated Franklin Hotel. As the night went on, couples danced together, friend groups took pictures at the photo booth, people enjoyed snacks and drinks and supporting a good cause.
This event was largely successful because of the amount of people willing to participate. For(mal) the Kids goes to show that support for CFTK comes in many forms - including formal! Thank you to those that attended the formal, The Franklin Hotel, and the entertainment committee that helped organize the event. We couldn’t have done it without you!