The Bob Carpenter Center transformed into a dreamland of castles, dragons, beanstalks, knights and princesses for the annual UDance Dance Marathon. Like any classic fairytale, the heroes were at the center of the day’s action – the B+ Heroes, that is.
The 18th iteration of the event, held April 21, welcomed over 4,500 members of the university community to the Bob for a day of line dancing, flash fundraising, hair donating and live performances. While UDance is a well-loved tradition at the university, the event itself is the culmination of a year-long student-led initiative that raises awareness and funds for the battle against childhood cancer.
This year’s theme, “Dreamland,” represented UDance’s mission to support the dreams of children battling cancer, known as B+ Heroes.
“The theme we picked for UDance 2024 was ‘Dreamland,’ with the slogan ‘Until Every Dream Comes True,’” junior Abby Rindfleish, media and engagement chair of the UDance Executive Board, said. “The idea of dreams was chosen to symbolize how our goal is for the B+ Heroes, the kids that we help, to be able to grow up and live all their dreams and live a full life of happiness.”
The UDance Executive Board, led by seniors Jen Moran and Alex Kinsey, motivated student organizations, sororities, fraternities, athletic teams, residence halls and individual community members to raise over $1.83 million for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. To make this dream come true, student representatives led each team in fundraising campaigns, which included canning throughout Newark, hosting philanthropy events and organizing social media initiatives.
According to co-executive directors Moran and Kinsey, leading UDance feels like their “full-time job” at times.
“I find myself sometimes, especially last year, sitting in the UDance office crafting for hours on end and getting everything ready,” Moran said. “It’s very easy to forget that we are still students. We just want to do UDance. We want to do everything we can.”
For Moran and Kinsey, who have both been involved since their freshman year, UDance is seen as a collaborative effort.
With 53 students serving on the executive board and hundreds taking on roles as engagement coordinators, chapter and team representatives, committee members, dedicated volunteers, “freshmen for the kids” and media relations representatives, the community has greatly expanded since UDance’s founding in 2007 by two Greek life organizations, Alpha Epsilon Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
“As a co-executive director, I have loved watching everyone on the board grow,” Kinsey said. “It’s a huge motivation for me, seeing everyone get so excited about the work they’re doing and seeing them get so excited to work with the B+ Heroes.”
By partnering with the B+ Foundation, the UDance community has opportunities to connect with the B+ Heroes and their families, inviting them to on-campus events throughout the year, such as the annual FTKickoff, Halloween Party and Hero Holiday Party.
In addition, each B+ Hero is “adopted” by a registered student organization, sorority, fraternity, athletic team or residence hall and is included in bonding events with their on-campus “older siblings.”
Joe McDonough, president of the B+ Foundation and father of original B+ Hero Andrew, addressed the crowd at this year’s event, thanking the UDance community not only for their financial contributions, but also for the emotional support offered to B+ Heroes and their families through this program.
“The smiles you see here … there have been some days where they haven’t been this easy,” McDonough said in his speech. “And one of the things that is so special to me is that you lift these kids and their families up, and they forget the cancer for a while and the memories that are so difficult in their childhood.”
During UDance, B+ Heroes spend the day with their “adopted older siblings,” showing off their best dance moves at the Silent Disco, serenading the crowd during the B+ Hero Talent Show and leading the final Rave Hour from the shoulders of their student representatives.
At the end of the day, the Heroes join hands with members of the UDance community, preparing for the highly anticipated reveal.
“Last year, when we were on stage for the reveal, B+ Hero Elliot was on stage next to us, and when we raised that number, you could hear him cheering and saying, ‘We won!’” Moran said. “We were probably stressing over fundraising and that number all year, but then he saw it and was like, ‘We won.’”
After raising $1.78 million during last year’s campaign, UDance was able to surpass the 2023 total by introducing new fundraising events, adding teams and positions to the executive board and developing powerful engagement strategies.
That being said, the work does not end after the glow sticks and confetti are swept from the floor of the Bob. According to Kinsey, plans for next year’s campaign are already underway.
“We basically start planning for the next year, like, three days after UDance,” Kinsey said. “We just jump right back in.”
As the new executive board transitions into their roles, Moran predicts that the organization’s momentum will continue to build under the new leadership.
“I would say just expect that even more will be made possible next year, and they will be capable of doing even more than what we did now and what we’ve done in past years,” Moran said. “The excitement and morale will definitely just keep going up.
“At the end of the day, the number we raise is a reflection of the entire UDance community, not just the executive board. While we do get to hold it up, the number would not be possible without every single person on the fundraising page, everyone who sent emails, everyone who had gone to events … It really is a testament to what the UDance community is capable of.”