Mango Smoothie, and a Bit of Bad News, and a Chance to Make a Difference

I don't know if the weather was as crazy for you guys as it was for us today, but goodness gracious! I hope everyone is safe and sound, and that we can put all talk of tornadoes and severe weather far far behind us.

That being said, I have some sad news (sad only to me I am sure, but I shall share anyway.) So my campus hosts an annual fund raiser called DanceBlue that raises money for the Children's Oncology Unit at our UK hospital. DanceBlue is a 24 hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon, where dancers dance for literally 24 hours after collecting donations from family, friends, and sponsors who are supporting them in this fund raising effort. This is DanceBlue's seventh year and so far it has been able to raise and donate over 2 and a half million dollars to the Children's Oncology unit. In 2011 alone we helped raise a total of $673,976.60!! Teams that sign up to dance together often sponsor and dance in honor of a family with a patient at the clinic, as is the case with my Alpha Gamma Delta sorority team. DanceBlue holds a special place in my heart, and has literally changed my life in the most touching and inexplicable way, which is why I have danced all three years I have been a University of Kentucky Wildcat. My sad news is, unfortunately, that this year's marathon, my last DanceBlue marathon, has been postponed and shortened due to the inclement weather.

 My heart is broken, because DanceBlue is something that, while in pain and wondering if you are going to make it through, you still are so thankful to be a part of, because you are only experiencing 24 hours worth of the pain that these children have to suffer through on a daily basis. 

In short, we dance for those you can't, and refuse to take childhood cancer sitting down.

If you are at all interested in donating to DanceBlue in order to support these children who have been diagnosed with cancer, or if you would like to learn more about this marathon which has taken such a hold on my heart, please check out this website. http://danceblue.org/

So as I emerged from my tornado shelter, now faced with having to feed myself (something I wasn't planning on doing in my own kitchen tonight) I made a smoothie, mostly because I didn't feel like eating much. It was a wonderfully yellow mango smoothie, perfect for DanceBlue and definitely FTK appropriate (For The Kids.)