UK’s DanceBlue fundraiser to benefit children’s hospital continues

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - For nearly 20 years, UK students have spent 24-hours dancing ‘for the kids’ at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

This year’s event raised more than $1.6 million.

DanceBlue has been named one of the largest collegiate fundraising events in the nation. But for many, it’s more than a fundraiser.

“I just truly can’t explain the feeling of being on this floor,” said Lauren Grant, the Community Relations Chair for DanceBlue. “I mean the standing is tough, but getting to see the families at the end of the marathon and show the impact, it just means the world.”

Since its inception in 2006, DanceBlue has raised more than $21,000,000 ‘for the kids’ at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

“There are 2-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 8-year-olds, all different ages of kids going through battles that even adults struggle with. Just the idea that we can do something for them and support them in any way possible has been really cool,” said Cliff York, Dance Blue Alumni.

What happens on the floor of memorial coliseum has transformed cancer care at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. In 2017, the ribbon was cut on the brand new DanceBlue clinic. It’s more than 6,000 square feet and double the size of the former clinic.

“If you’re able to go on and see what the clinic used to look like before the DanceBlue donations started coming in, just the impact of this, making the clinic a place where the kids look forward to going rather than just a treatment center that they have to go,” said York.

Gracie Hardy is the line dance coordinator for DanceBlue. She choreographs the 14-minute line dance performed at the top of every hour during the 24-hour dance marathon. But she also works at the hospital, witnessing firsthand the impact these dancers have on the lives of hundreds of kids.

“Any cent, any dollar, goes to changing these lives and having more smiles in the clinic and more birthday parties and more bell-ringings and it’s just genuinely something that is local to Lexington that you can have an impact on,” said Hardy.

DanceBlue 2023 wraps up at 8 PM on Sunday. You can donate to support them on their website.

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