At my first HuskyTHON, all the way back in February of 2020, I remember having a conversation with a senior. We talked for a while about his experiences with our organization, and at the end of our chat, he said something I’ll never forget: “When this is over, I’ll feel like I’ve graduated from UConn.”

HuskyTHON is an encapsulation of everything that makes UConn great. It is a symbol of our magnificent campus and its wonderful inhabitants. It is a testament to the kindness, empathy, and giving spirit that pervades all around this beautiful town of Storrs, Connecticut. In a simple sense, HuskyTHON is an 18-hour dance marathon in which more than 3,500 UConn students come together to raise money and celebrate the kids who are treated at our local children’s hospital, Connecticut Children’s. But it is much more than that.

HuskyTHON has existed since 1999, when we came together and raised just over $10,000. It has grown in the two decades since, and we’ve now raised a combined $10 million for Connecticut Children’s since our inception.

Though the size and scope of our organization has drastically changed in that time, our mission has remained the same: we fight each and every day for the kids who can’t. We dance for the families who have to spend their birthdays, their holidays, and their summers in the hospital. We raise money all year to actualize a future in which childhood illness does not exist. We do every single thing we can, because our fundraising efforts are miniscule compared to the strength and heart of each child who walks through the doors of Connecticut Children’s.

The 3,500 UConn students who participate in HuskyTHON only want one thing: a world in which all children can spend their day at home and not have to worry about diagnoses or treatment. Until that world is a reality, we will continue to fight each and every day. On behalf of our 30-person HuskyTHON Management Team and our Miracle Families, thank you for joining our movement to change kids’ health and change the future.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Though none of us can accomplish our mission alone, together we can end childhood illness.

Fighting for the Future,

John Leahy

Executive Director of HuskyTHON 2023