Once Knight-Thon’s 1,500 participants finally took a seat on Sunday after standing for 20 consecutive hours, they were greeted by a record-setting fundraising total of $1,001,678.20.
Breaking $1 million for the first time, and just the eighth institution to do so with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), UCF also donated its two millionth dollar earlier this year to CMN hospitals: Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Together, those hospitals treat more than 250,000 children a year for ailments like cancer, AIDS, birth defects, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, kidney and heart disease, in addition to accident victims and those in need of organ transplants.
Far surpassing last year’s fundraising total of $688,049.19, Knight-Thon began its dance marathon at CFE Arena in a quest for $820,000. After a night of dancing, hypnotists, raves and stories from CMN’s “Miracle Children,” the Student Government Association agency proved it was up-to-the-task, exceeding its goal by 22.2 percent.
UCF is now nationally ranked as a top 10 dance marathon.