This past weekend, DanceBlue hosted a “mini dance marathon” to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
Dance Blue is an organization run by students attending the University of Kentucky (UK) that raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer. It began in 2006 and was inspired by a young boy named Jarrett Mynear, who battled cancer multiple times in his life.
Despite his illness, Mynear was always passionate about giving back to others, especially children facing the same struggles as himself. Before passing in 2002, he started Jarrett’s Joy Cart, which delivered toys to patients to lift their spirits. His dedication and generosity deeply affected the UK community.
In honor of Mynear, his peers, mom, and school faculty created a 24-hour dance marathon at UK to raise funds for pediatric research. Highlands High School saw this and was inspired to make their own version.
“This is the first year that Highlands High School has hosted a DanceBlue. We decided to do this so that we could also contribute to this fundraising effort. Several schools around Kentucky host mini marathons, but this is the first in northern Kentucky,” math teacher Stacey Behrensmeyer, who helped to organize DanceBlue, said.
Pediatric cancer is any form of cancer that affects kids from birth to age 14. The money raised through DanceBlue is given to the Golden Matrix Fund, which helps children in the oncology/hematology clinic at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. The Golden Matrix Fund supports not only the children but also research on pediatric oncology.
“Raising money for pediatric cancer is important because it helps kids get the treatment and support they need to fight cancer. Donations help to fund research that could save someone’s life and provide care for them and their families,” Madeline Banocy (9) said.
DanceBlue raised money for an extremely important cause while having a smaller version of the University of Kentucky’s 24-hour dance marathon. It was held on Saturday, March 8, from 7:00-11:00 PM.
“I loved DanceBlue…not only did it help to raise money it also impacted the community so much,” Payton Brown (11) said.
To make this dance more engaging, they included hourly themes. These themes included Hawaiian, USA, and even a rave hour at the end of the event.
“Each student in attendance received a swag bag upon checking in which includes accessories to help with the theme. Some of the accessories helped us divide the large group into teams for Capture the Flag, Hungry Hippos, and other games. At the top of each hour, we all participated in the official DanceBlue line dance led by the DanceBlue representatives that came from UK to help out,” Behrensmeyer said.
Highlands hopes to make DanceBlue an annual event to continue to support the cause while involving students.
“I’m really glad I showed up for DanceBlue because it felt amazing to be a part of something bigger than just myself. Seeing so many people come together for a great cause was really inspiring,” Banocy said.
