Winter 2014
Events This Season
Winter Spotlight
Stay up to date on what your peers have been up to! Know an alumnus/alumna who has been doing something awesome? Send your nomination to izabellazucker@gmail.com for next season’s newsletter.
Collette Toney
With Dance Marathon just around the corner, we can think of no better alumna to highlight than former morale dancer and Homecoming Queen, Collette Toney. Collette joined the Morale Committee her senior year and proved it’s never too late to have an impact FTK. When asked about her experience with UGA Miracle, Collette said, “Being a part of Miracle [last] year provided me moments that I would never forget…the dance competition on the parking deck…making up the dances and watching hundreds of people do them…it was so wonderful to be a part of the spirit and pulse of Dance Marathon.” That spirit still remains within Collette as she continues to be FTK despite her whirlwind schedule. She is currently pursuing her Masters in the College Student Affairs Administration program at UGA, works in Greek Affairs for her graduate assistantship at Georgia Tech, and will be taking on her practicum next semester as a mentor in the UGA Athletic Department. Though her spare time may be limited, Collette still dedicates herself to helping UGA Miracle be the most successful it can be. She utilizes her well-known presence on campus to promote Miracle’s events and encourage her peers to get involved and raise money for the kids. Her continued support and encouragement are what make Collette such a caring, valued alumna. We miss you, Collette!
Hannah Wilson
Hannah Wilson has gone above-and-beyond her role as Morale Committee Member and has blown us away this year with her passion FTK. Hannah has jumped into her role as a committee member with unparalleled enthusiasm, despite this being her first year on a committee. She eagerly took on more responsibility and joined the Dance Sub-Committee within Morale, and has attended every single meeting as well as every outing and event. Not only does Hannah take part in teaching the morale dance at her own meetings, she has gone to other committee meetings to teach portions of the dance, engaging other Miracle members to get pumped FTK. But wait, there’s more. Earlier this year, Hannah took it upon herself to reach out to family friends of hers, the McPhail family, and express the support that UGA Miracle provides. Thanks to all of Hannah, the McPhail family is officially our newest Miracle family, and we could not be more excited! Morale Co-Chair, Melissa Peterson, describes Hannah as, “on fire for the kids every day.She has jumped right in and taken initiative in everything.” Hannah serves as an inspiration to our entire organization. If this year is any indication of what is to come from this firepower committee member, we have some pretty incredible things to look forward to.
Miracle at Midnight On November 14th, UGA Miracle celebrated 100 days until Dance Marathon with an exciting new event that truly captured the spirit of Miracle. The event was held at New Earth Music Hall and made over $1,000 as committees competed in an exciting dancing competition. The rave themed event, complete with glow sticks, fun outfits, and a high energy DJ, proved to be a great way to ignite the countdown to Dance Marathon.
Tour of Homes UGA Miracle welcomed the holiday season with our annual Classic City Tour of Homes. On Sunday, December 8th, sororities and many fraternities on Milledge Avenue opened up their beautifully decorated homes to the Athens community and surrounding areas. Not even the rainy weather kept a record number of visitors from enjoying the wonderful homes, amazing decorations, fun sponsorship tables, and lively holiday atmosphere.
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Dare 5k The third annual Krispy Kreme Doughnut Dare 5k will take place on January 26th from 8:00am-11:00am at Stegeman Coliseum. This 5k with a twist has proved to be one of UGA Miracle’s most successful events with the number of participants increasing every year. Volunteers, runners, and spectators line the University of Georgia campus to watch this light-hearted run and who can succeed at taking “the Dare.” Want to join in on the fun? Register at http://5kdare.ugamiracle.org/ index.html to join us as we take the dare for the kids!
Dance Marathon 2014 “They’re the Center of Our Adventure”
Look out for these exciting new additions for alumni at Dance Marathon! 6:00pm- Sanford Stadium The cure for your withdrawals from Sanford Stadium has arrived. Join us at 6:00pm* as we storm the field of Sanford Stadium and frolic in all of its glory. There may even be a few surprises waiting for us on the field…you don’t want to miss this! *Please meet in the lobby of the 1st floor of the Tate Student Center at 5:50pm so we can gather everyone together before heading to the field.
UGA Miracle’s 19th annual Dance Marathon benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will take place from Saturday, February 22nd at 10 a.m. until Sunday, February 23rd at 10 a.m. at the Tate Student Center’s Grand Ballroom. Over 1,200 registered participants will devote a full 24 hours dancing, laughing, and honoring the countless children and families who spend days, weeks, and even years in the hospitals of Children’s. This year’s theme, “They’re the Center of Our Adventure,” will encompass travel and adventure elements that reflect the journey that unifies us all. All of us have a story, whether it’s a Miracle child battling an illness at Children’s or a college student looking to find a family at UGA. Thanks to the care and excellence of Children’s, the opportunities to seize the adventure of living have been given back to the countless families they treat. Join us at this year’s Dance Marathon as we celebrate the hope, joy, and miracles of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with the people we cherish most. Enjoy catered meals every four hours, performances from groups such as The Redcoat Band, the Day Rehab Dancers from Children’s, a hypnotist show, and many more.
$415,000
6:30pm- Ricky James Spirit Award During the Alumni Hour of Dance Marathon, the Alumni Connection will honor the achievements of an outstanding senior with the first ever Ricky James Spirit Award. This award honors the life of Ricky James and his courageous spirit that never gave up. Ricky battled cancer for several years before passing in 2010. Throughout it all, he brought joy and happiness to everyone he met. Ricky was the ultimate fighter. Nominations are rolling in and the recipient will be chosen by a panel of alumni consisting of Ali Gant, Laura Kaplan, Elyse Tremble, Julie Wade, McKenzie Lawson, and Cole Phillips. We are thrilled to have our alumni present this award to one deserving senior and look forward to this very special moment of Dance Marathon.
Our Mount Everest For the first time in UGA Miracle history, we are announcing our organization-wide fundraising goal: $415,000 for the kids. Why $415,000? Every year, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals challenges all Dance Marathons across the country to tackle a 20% increase. Our target of $415,000 is a 20% increase from the 2013 fundraising total of $346,286.13. This goal is our Mount Everest, our ultimate feat waiting to be conquered. With the most fired-up, passionate members we’ve ever seen, we cannot wait to reach the summit!
7:00pm- Alumni and Parents’ Reception This year, Dance Marathon will host a combined reception for our alumni as well as the parents of our Miracle families to give everyone more time to reconnect and relax away from the hustle and chaos that is Dance Marathon. Be the first in line to grab dinner in Tate Grand Hall at 7:00pm, then head downstairs to Tate Reception Hall (first floor of Tate, just an elevator ride down from Grand Hall) for coffee, desserts, and other treats. We can’t wait to reminisce and celebrate the magic of Dance Marathon!
Family Updates
2The Seagraves
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• family (seen below) spoke at our most recent Navigate session on January 7th and touched the hearts of everyone in the room.
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• We are thrilled to welcome our newest family, The McPhails, into our UGA Miracle community! Reece McPhail is a 10-year-old boy who doesn’t let his battle with leukemia keep him from being his sports-loving self. His parents say Reece is an absolute blast to be around, and that he constantly keeps them laughing. We cannot wait to see Reece and his family at their first ever Dance Marathon!
· UGA Miracle took part in the 17th Annual Rehab Reunion (seen below) where Executive Board Members spent the day having fun with former and current patients of the CIRU.
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• The Adams family took time out of their busy schedule to share their inspirational story and eat froyo with the Morale committee on Monday night.
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· The Hospital Relations Committee has served Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with fourteen fun, themed hospital visits this year.
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· This year’s Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Desserts provided to Scottish Rite had the largest turnout the hospital has ever seen!
4Thompson Ritter •
(seen above) is resting at home and recovering from his surgery in early November. Thompson’s surgery included an anterior fusion and replacement of a rod in his spine using one of his ribs. What a fighter!
CIRU Updates
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· Each hospital visit this year has featured a Staff Appreciation portion to support not only the families treated at CHOA, but the men and women who work tirelessly to better the lives of their patients.