Every Day I’m FTK
When I think back to the very first Hatterthon, Stetson University’s Dance Marathon, I still feel the energy and passion that exuded from every single person there. Since then Hatterthon has only grown, and I truly believe it’s because of the love and care everyone involved has for the kids. I wanted to be a part of that, so when my friends — Tara Tovkach and Katie Scott — asked me to apply for the Hatterthon Executive Board, I said, “Sure! Why not?” and it really helped me dive deeper into a cause I already knew I loved.
Hatterthon 2020 was my first taste of what it’s like to be involved as an alumni. Although I couldn’t attend events on campus, I realized that I had a whole new group of people that I get to share Dance Marathon with! To thank all of my new friends, I decided to write down my donors’ names and put them on a sign that I wore throughout the entire event. Inspired by how many people had actually donated to me and fueled by the excitement of total reveal, I told Matt Garizio — Hatterthon’s Hospital Advisor — that my goal for Hatterthon 2021 would be to get a donation a day: from the day DonorDrive opens until the big event. I would just like to explain that I thought of this idea maybe thirty seconds before I told him. I probably said the idea in my head three times, decided that it shouldn’t be too hard and it would be really fun, and then told Matt. I went home that day and knew that I somehow had to make it happen.
A little over a month later, Tara posted in the Hatterthon Alumni Facebook Group announcing that DonorDrive was open. As soon as I read that, I took a deep breath, registered for Hatterthon 2021, and hoped for the best. My plan was simple: I would ask a few people each day to donate and hope for the best! I did have a backup plan just in case I end the day without finding a donor. Her name is “Winnie the Coin Jar”, named after Winnie Palmer Hospital. She is filled with every coin I could find in my house, and when necessary, I will donate a dollar or two from her to Hatterthon.
Things were off to a great start, and I was able to find one or two donors a day. Then I posted about being $3 away from my first $100 and six people donated to me! It had only been one week of fundraising and I had already raised $136!! Throughout the rest of the month I continued to ask people to donate each day and even did a few fundraising pushes.
Two days before the end of April, I told my mom that I was a little less than $200 away from reaching Comma Club. She said, “Try to raise as much as you can in these next two days. I think you can get there before the end of the month.” So for the next 48 hours I messaged as many people as I could asking them to help me reach this goal. I ended April, my first month of fundraising, with $1036 in donations!! I still can’t believe it! Reaching Comma Club used to seem so difficult, but I try to remember something that I read in the Miracle Maker Packet — a set of resources for Hatterthon’s registered participants — from Hatterthon 2019:
“Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospital has raised over $5 billion. Most of it was raised $1 at a time.”
It took me a while to understand why I care so much about Hatterthon. Often people will say they participate because they have a connection to Children’s Miracle Network or they love going to the hospital and meeting all of the miracle families. When it came to “finding my why,” I realized I don’t have an emotional story that can easily help you understand what Dance Marathon does. Since I started my #EveryDayImFTK fundraising push, I have realized that I love Dance Marathon because of how passionate everybody involved is. Never before had I seen people with this much passion for something so much bigger than themselves. When someone tells you about Dance Marathon, they don’t expect you to do anything but listen. They just want to make an impact. If you choose to donate, share, or get involved afterwards, it’s like an added bonus, and they’re just so happy you’re there.
So far over 100 people have donated and joined me in supporting the kids! I am so thankful for each and every one of them, as well as those who may not be able to donate but continue to show their support. So many people have told me how inspiring the work I’m doing is, and I am just glad I get to do something for the kids at my local CMN hospital: Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Every single day I wake up and know that at some point today I will have raised at least $1 for the kids. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I get nervous that I won’t be able to reach my goal for the day and find a donor. Even just thinking about how I am going to continue this for the next year feels really scary. Then I think about the kids who are dealing with something so much more intense, and how they are filled with so much love and joy. These kids and families are fighting every day, and it’s important for us to be right there fighting with them!
As you go forward in your fundraising, I encourage you to get excited and make fundraising pushes about something you think is really cool and fun. This will help motivate you to work towards and reach your goal! Try not to get discouraged if somebody ignores you and/or isn’t able to donate. Instead, be glad that you got to share your love for Dance Marathon with them.
The people in your life will recognize when you’re passionate about what you’re doing. So go out there and share why you love being a part of something so incredible! The kids in our local CMN Hospitals need us all year round, and we can help them one day, one dollar, one Dance Marathon at a time.