FTK means "For The Kids." This acronym represents all that Dance Marathons and Miracle Networks do, for the kids. UADM uses this as a hashtag, a greeting & goodbye, and a life motto. Here is what "FTK" means to some of our staff members.

I am one of the Morale Color Team Captains for the Yellow team. My partner and I in charge of making sure our color team is prepared for the big event in February, by helping them prepare a themed hour, as well as creating any games for that hour and helping our directors with anything they need. FTK is the reason I continue to push myself within my major. It’s the motivation to keep pursuing my ultimate goal, which is to help kids just like them. UADM has helped me realize how passionate I am with helping others. 

Coming to UA, I had no idea what UADM was, but randomly decided to participate as a dancer because it sounded like so much fun and seemed to be for a good cause. Now, 3 years later, I look back at my years of participating gradually getting more and more involved as perhaps one of the most important causes I have ever become a part of. Not only as UADM allowed me to personally help all the children at Children's, but has allowed them all to touch my life. Nothing has ever humanized me and put life more into perspective as has UADM and our amazing Miracle Children's resolve and love for the world. It allows me to give back even a little for children to who, in many ways, we are giving the world. FTK means everything. It is our mission, our passion, and our driving factor. Everything we do is for the kids, everything. Every Chipotle burrito eaten at a spirit night, every admission to a skating night dressed in 80s gear, and every single penny collected via a canning drive is all for the kids. And although everything we do seems small individually, together we commit everything we have for the kids, and it is who we are.

I am the Event Management Director on this year's Dance Marathon staff! I got involved with UADM as Assistant Director of Event Management and the Yellow Team color captain my freshman year, and have loved it ever since. I deal with logistics of UADM throughout the year- scheduling meetings, grounds permits, and other requests. I also work with our awesome Master of Ceremonies, Tommy Scott, and the schedule and details for the main event in the spring. To me, FTK means a bunch of college kids coming together and fighting for kids and families- most of whom we may never actually meet. It means spending your time in college standing for those who can't, and fighting so that the next generation has the opportunity to come to college and dance themselves. Roll Tide & FTK!

Yesterday UADM had a fundraising day called $100 day. We challenged everyone on staff to raise and exceed 100 dollars in just 24 hours! Daunting, as it seemed, everyone was ready to take on the day. Knowing this was not an easy task to accomplish, everyone had to get a little creative. Campus was flooded with tutus and face paint as students collected money through canning, speaking in front of classes and organizations, blowing up social media, selling donuts, and doing pretty much anything to reach their goal. Some of the miracle makers vowed to run a mile for every 5 dollars they raised. Others offered to get pied in the face, FTK. One person even brought their dog around for the day and sold “puppy kisses” for a dollar. The overwhelming support and love UADM was shown yesterday was astounding. Very soon into the day, personal $100 goals were replaced by $200, and then $300. 20 miles turned into 60, and the fundraising day that seemed impossible turned into a day full of miracles. We are proud to announce that just after one day of hard work and dedication from everyone involved, we raised $20,408.91 FTK!!! Roll Miracles Roll…

A huge shout out to our staff members who brought home the gold and raised $50 FTK!

Childhood cancer affects so many of us. Here at UADM, we hold this disease close to our hearts and fight for the kids who can’t. Kaitlin Burnash, a member of the outreach team, spent her summer volunteering with children who have cancer. Check out her inspiring story below!

           Childhood cancer was always a cause I've held close to my heart for many years.  However, it never meant so much to me until I spent this past summer at Camp Okizu, a camp for children with cancer and their families.  When I began my work there this past May, I fully expected to be changed in some way or another but little did I know exactly how much I would indeed change as soon as I made my way through the green gates to a place I now consider home. I had the privilege of working alongside some of the most resilient, hard working, loving, dedicated, compassionate, and selfless co-counselors on the planet, all who had overcome and triumphed over more in the first twenty or so years of their lives than I could comprehend or imagine. 
            On the surface, there is nothing extraordinary about Camp Okizu. It is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas on 500 acres that include rolling hillsides, an archery range, sturdy cabins, a lake, and miles of gorgeous hiking trails. But it is truly the most magical, special, and wonderful place I have ever been to. The moments of magic occur at mealtime where we all get to share our stories, our pasts, dance, and laugh together. At nighttime looking straight up at the stars with my cabin groups. And on our last day of camp when we honored and remembered all those who could not be with us today but who live on in our hearts and truly solidified the family we had become.
            I spent the summer working with eight to ten year old girls, some of the most beautiful little girls I had ever known.  All of them carried cancer's scars whether it was their shaved heads, physical limitations from brain tumors and neuroblastomas, scars from incisions, or a multitude of psychological scars.  Yet each one of them had a tremendous capacity for love, complete faith that cancer was part of God's journey for them, and more joy for life than anyone I had ever met.  On the last day of each camp session, we all got the opportunity to share our cancer stories and I had some of my girls share their experiences of being in the hospital for more than four months or watching their siblings pass away before their eyes.  Others shared about dear friends who they used to go to camp with but who were no longer with us but who were some of the most loving and so selfless people they had ever met that they wanted to ensure they would never be forgotten.  And it was in these moments that I truly realized how insignificant my own stresses or worries were and how fleeting life can be.  Their ability to take all the bad in their life and face life with so much joy, courage, and optimism inspires me to this day.  In this one summer I truly learned that in saving others you are indeed saving yourself in ways you cannot even comprehend.   
 
 

    When he was only 7 years old, he won his first national dance championship.  A year later, he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. After enduring strenuous surgeries and months of chemotherapy treatment at Children’s of Alabama, Alex beat cancer, and has been in remission since January 2009. 

    Alex never let his cancer get in the way of his dreams. In fact, he persevered through his illness and founded Dancers Fighting Cancer. This group raises money for childhood cancer research and awareness through various forms of dance.

    This Sunday marks the 7th annual fundraiser, “Tapping Out Childhood Cancer.”  The show consists of local dancers, singers, and dance teams. After that, there will be games for the kids, face painting, moonwalk, and more! This event has raised almost $115,000 for The Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama. So, please join Alex at the Historic Alabama Theatre at 2:00pm, THIS Sunday!

Here is the link to sign up for the event:
http://childrensal.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1067228

Hi! My name is Alex Grady and I'm a sophomore from Iowa City, Iowa. Growing up in a college town (University of Iowa), I was surrounded by the idea of Dance Marathon from a young age. Starting in junior high I began to participate in the University of Iowa's Dance Marathon as a Spirit Dancer, which basically meant I got to be there for 4 hours during their 24 hour Big Event! Ever since my first Dance Marathon I realized that this was an organization that held a huge place in my heart. My family and high school community had been affected a lot by cancer and I knew that I wanted to help put a stop to it! Coming to Alabama UADM was the first organization that I made sure to reach out to. I'm now blessed to be in the second year of working for the Recruitment Team (whoop!) and I love seeing the progress that we're making as a group. This organization has helped me find a passion and given me a way to help better the world a dance at a time!

Our first month of school finally comes to a close and we are taking a moment to reflect on last year’s success and the momentum it has given us. Last year The University of Alabama Dance Marathon (UADM) dared to say $100k! We kicked off last year with a goal of raising $100k throughout the school year leading up to the final hour of our Main Event in March 2014. After raising $83, 061.09 the previous year, we were all nervous about this big 6 figure goal, but also excited for the challenge. During the final moments of the Main Event, we revealed the total we had worked so hard for. Everyone anxiously watched as the number was revealed on stage. A roar of cheers and a couple tears were shed when we saw $128, 702.06 appear on the stage. We not only met our goal of $100k, but beat it! We are very proud we beat our goal, but even more proud of the impact $128, 702.06 will do at Children’s of Alabama.

Later in the spring we joined The Center for Service and Leadership. We are so excited to be a part of this department and thankful for all the support we have received! It has been amazing to collaborate with other organizations, and even help with other service projects on campus.

This August, UADM kicked off the year with a bang! We participated at the Week of Welcome kick-off and Get On Board Day. We had a blast meeting more students on campus and speaking to them about our organization, our local Miracle Network Hospital, Children’s of Alabama, and how we are so passionate about serving others. During the third week of school we revealed our rebrand. UADM has always been a part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon movement; however, this year UADM is uniting with Miracle Network Dance Marathons across the nation by incorporating the flame – the flame of hope, passion and determination. Our campaign, #BeTheSpark, invites all individuals across campus and the Tuscaloosa community to get involved and make a difference. We are thrilled to have officially rebranded and love our new look!

The weekend of Friday, August 28 to Sunday, August 30 was filled with fun and work: We had over 15 members volunteer on Friday and Saturday for Radiothon at Children’s of Alabama. They were able to help answer phone calls as well as speak on two different radio stations about our organization! On Friday, some members were able to play Just Dance at Children’s of Alabama with the patients. Not only did we have a great time dancing with the patients, but we loved seeing the smiles on their faces. Starting at 10 AM on Saturday, the UADM marketing team put on the first ever UADM Miracle Kid Photo Shoot at Children’s of Alabama. The day was filled with video/photography, cupcakes and laughter! It was an amazing opportunity to not only get updated footage of our amazing Miracle Kids and hospital, but to spend time with our Miracle Families and bond. On Sunday, August 30, our executive members met in Atlanta at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta Foundation to meet with our regional manager and other Dance Marathons in our region. It was a time for collaboration and inspiration. Finally, last week we had our first spirit night at Super Skate, which we called Sk80’s!  There was music, card making for Children’s of Alabama patients, and plenty of leg warmers. We had over 150 come out to skate, raiseing over $450!

We are currently in the process of bringing on new members to our family. Every week we find a new opportunity to learn, work and grow. 2015 has been such an amazing year so far and has given us so much momentum. A big thank you to The Center for Service and Leadership! We could not be more excited to be a part of your family!

You can also see this blog post as well as other organizations blogs on the CSL blog! Check it out here! 

      Well, that wraps up another amazing year! This year UADM set a goal to raise $100k! We knew it would be a challenge, but we more than welcomed it. It was a busy year of fundraising and collaborating  for the organization.  
       We kicked off   the year with  posting all over social media "Dare to say..." . In a couple days we would reveal to the campus what our fundraising goal for the year would be. For the reveal we had big cutouts of $100k on the quad by the library  to start our Dare To Say $100k campaign. We definitely caught the attention of all students that passed by that day. 
       On October 13, 2014 we had our first recruitment week of the year!  Working hard at the ferg and also the rec center to inform students and also get people signed up for the Big Event!  You definitely could not miss us that week when we raced around the quad in cardboard box cars, mustaches and dresses. The staff dressed up as Mario characters and we had our very own Mario Kart Race on the quad!
      The first week on November 2014 we competed with LSU's Dance Marathon to see who could raise the most money in just one week. Loser would have to sing the other school's fight song and record it and the winner got to play that video at their dance marathon and have bragging rights for the year. During the week we worked hard tabling at the ferg, posting all over social media, selling merchandise, partnering with local restaurants for fundraiser nights, selling sweet treats and even pieing an "LSU fan" to raise funds.  Saturday we rejoiced when  the numbers were totaled and found out we had beat LSU! UADM had raised $16, 330.06 and LSU had raised $11,114.28!  This week inspired and motivated all of staff. If we could raise  over $16,000 in one week we could definitely raise $100k by 9 pm on March 7, 2015!
        We did not stop  fundraising and recruiting after  Beat LSU Week. UADM continued raising awareness and  receiving donations.  We got to skype and even go to some of our Miracle Kids soccer games, made Christmas cards for the patients at Children's of Alabama and continued working towards our goal of $100k and preparing for March 7. 
         January came around and we were back to school ready to raise more FTK! In February  we made cards for the patients at Children's of Alabama for Valentine's Day. We also gave out (Hershey) kisses to raise awareness about UADM.  On February  5-6 , 2015 launched our first 48 hour fundraiser called Miracle Mania. Our goal was to raise $20k in two days! It was bold, but we were ready to do it FTK. For those 48 hours we collected donations, registered students for the Big Event, sold merchandise and we fundraised our hearts out. We gave it our all and on February 7 the total was released.. We had raised $24, 152.67 in 48 hours! It was one of the greatest feelings and we were amazed that we could surpass our goal by $4,000! Now we had exactly one month until the Big Event!
         On March 7, 2015 we made history and raised a six figure total.  This year we had some new additions to our dance marathon. We had a stellar DJ and to help our fundraising efforts  we created a "jail". You could donate money to have your friend put in jail and they would have to donate or find someone to donate for them to get out. The event was full of music, dancing, games, Miracle Stories, food and fundraising. At 9 pm that night everyone nervously looked up at the stage and waited for the grand total to be revealed. No matter what the total we were UADM and we were making miracles. One by one executive members raised up a number until it revealed the final total. We had reached our goal! All the sudden, two people were told to trade places because that was not the real number. When the two had switched the grand total of $128, 702.06 was shining on that stage. You could hear the excitement and feel the overwhelming happiness that filled the gym. Not only did we meet our goal, but we beat it by $28,000! Dance Marathon made an impact and inspired all who attended. To know you are saving lives and making miracles is the greatest feeling. Thank you to everyone who supported UADM and helped us to surpass our goal of $100k. We cannot wait to start working towards UADM 2016! FTK! 

New year, new executive board! We want y'all to get to know the team that will be working all year to make UADM 2015 unforgettable. Remember to follow us on Twitter (@UADM2014)or like us on Facebook (facebook.com/UADM) for updates and events throughout the year!
And, without further introduction, here is your exec. board for the UADM 2014-2015 year! #RMFTK

Name: Allison Peters
Position: President
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Biology, Psychology/ Pre-PA
Go to Dance Move: "I can win any Krumping Battle"
What's playing on the T.V.: The Office
Fave Hashtag: #UADM2015
Why does she dance?
I dance so that they can grow up and dance for kids that will grow up and dance for kids... until one day we will only be dancing for joy.

Name: Emily Trentacoste
Position: Vice President of Finance
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Nursing
Go to Dance Move: The "Shopping Cart"
What's playing on the T.V.: Grey's Anatomy
Fave Hashtag: #FTK
Why does she dance?
I dance for kids now so that they can have the chance to someday dance for others too! I participated as a dancer my first year and fell in love with UADM. UADM supports such an amazing cause and is an incredible experience. College can be so exhausting at times, and UADM is a great way to step away from all the craziness of school and just let loose! The day of the Big Event is a blast! It's so great to spend an entire day playing games, having fun, and just being a kid! The best part is that all of this fun is in support of all the kids at Children’s of Alabama!

Name: Kelly Klevitsky
Position: Director of Family Relations
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Management Information Systems
Go to Dance Move: The "Moonwalk"
What's playing on the T.V.: Friends
Fave Hashtag: #FTK
Why does she dance?
I dance to put smiles on the kids' faces!

Name: Kaitlin Ryan
Position: Director of Event Management
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Psychology, Criminal Justice
Go to Dance Move: The Line Dance from DM 2014
What's playing on the T.V.: The Office
Fave Hashtag: #FTK
Why does she dance?
I dance for those who can't and for a brighter tomorrow! I originally joined UARM because the dance marathon event sounded like fun; but what I found was a family away from home. UADM is made up of selfless, kind, FUN people who work incredibly hard to serve others and I am so honored to call myself a part of this organization. RT& RMFTK :)

Name: Megan Lyons
Position: Director of Individual Fundraising
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Biology, Psychology
Go to Dance Move: The "Macarena"
What's playing on the T.V.: Grey's Anatomy
Fave Hashtag: #FTK
Why does she dance?
I love UADM because being part of UADM allows us to give back in such tremendous ways. We are able to put smiles on sick children's faces and let them know that they are not fighting alone. I dance for all the kids that can't. Hopefully thanks to all our help, one day these kids can stand up and dance with us too. 

Name: Max Pauly
Position: Director of Corporate Partnerships
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Finance, Economics/ Spanish
Go to Dance Move: The "Nae Nae"
What's playing on the T.V.: How I Met Your Mother
Fave Hashtag: #FTK
Why does he dance?
I dance because the best feeling in the world is making a sick child smile and have hope. I have always worked in some form or fashion with children in Children’s Hospital and wanted to continue that.

Name: Jasmine Banks
Position: Director of Catering
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Political Science, African American Studies
Go to Dance Move: Beyonce's Booty Pop
What's playing on the T.V.: The Big Bang Theory
Fave Hashtag: #Racheeeet
Why does she dance?
I dance for my little brother Maddex who was born 6 months pre-mature and diagnosed with Carpal Palsy and can't dance (yet!)  

Name: Sarah Cox
Position: Co-Director of Recruitment
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Biology
Go to Dance Move: The "Shoulder Bounce"
What's playing on the T.V.: The Big Bang Theory
Fave Hashtag: #belike
Why does he dance?
I dance because dancing is such a small price to pay (if you can really call it that) for the children who visit Children's of Alabama to get the medical care they need. If all it takes for these children to enjoy the full lives they deserve is for me to offer a bit of time and money, I'm more than happy to do it.

Name: Nick Allen
Position: Co-Director of Recruitment
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Civil Engineering, Italian
Go to Dance Move: The "Pretzel"
What's playing on the T.V.: Friends
Fave Hashtag: #TurnDown4What
Why does he dance?
I dance to see the look on kids' faces when we do something for them, and to continue to see those faces year after year.

Name: Morgan Brasfield
Position: Co-Director of Campus Relations
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Biology
Go to Dance Move: The "Hair Flip"
What's playing on the T.V.: Suits
Fave Hashtag: #teamnosleep
Why does she dance?
For The Memories.

Name: Shannon Nataluk
Position: Co-Director of Campus Relations
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Psychology, Pre-Med/ Biology
Go to Dance Move: The "You're a Jerk" Move
What's playing on the T.V.: House or Grey's Anatomy
Fave Hashtag: #madeupmedicaldisorders
Why does she dance?
I dance because I know I am making a difference in a child's life by giving up my time on a Saturday for ten hours just to see a smile on their faces. I dance because I am helping save their lives by donating my money knowing it is going to a great cause.

Name: Kelsey Southerland
Position: Director of Special Events
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Public Relations
Go to Dance Move: The "Running Man"
What's playing on the T.V.: Friends
Fave Hashtag: #yolo , but only when used sarcastically
Why does she dance?
I honestly and absolutely love CMN! I've been to Children's Hospital in Birmingham to help out and the kids there are all so amazing. No matter what their condition is, they love to smile and have a good time. They deserve every chance at happiness and I want to help make their dreams and goals come true.

Name: Sarah Urbanski
Position: Varsity Squad Director
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Marketing, Apparel Design
Go to Dance Move: The "Bernie"
What's playing on the T.V.: Spongebob Squarepants
Fave Hashtag: its a tossup between #miraclemonday and #whydontifitintomypantswednesday
Why does she dance?
I have been doing dance marathon since my freshman year of high school, and every year my love for the event grows, but my reason for dancing never changes - I dance for the kids.  There are kids out there who will never be able to stand on their feet for an event like the is, who will never be able to learn a line dance, but there are also kids who might have a chance to do so if they receive the proper care and help. By doing UADM, we are giving those kids that care and help they need so that one day they can dance alongside us, and we are also dancing to remember and honor those who will never be able to join us.  I love knowing that we are making a difference in these kids' and their families' lives, and that is why I love UADM.

It was a humbling Halloween for some of our staff members this year! Here's a pic of our very own dressed up in wacky costumes as they visited the kids of Children's of Alabama! Which costume do you like the most?! 

Hello again, everyone! If you follow us on Twitter (@UADM2014) or like us on Facebook (facebook.com/UADM) you'd know that we recently
 introduced our committee members! Well, we decided to introduce you to our awesome
staff members, too! These wonderful people have put in a ton of work to help get UADM's name out 
around campus, so we think they deserve some recognition for all that they do! We asked them certain
questions and here were their answers- enjoy getting to know our staff! 
First and foremost, we will introduce you to UADM's 2013-2014 President:

Katie Klootwyk     [Pronounced "Klewt-whyk"]


1. Why did you decide to get involved with UADM? 

"I decided to get involved with UADM because of my involvement at my high school. I was fortunate
enough to have a dance marathon at my high school that IUDM put on and fell in love with it throughout my high school career.  After hearing that Tyler and Alexandria were trying to start it at Alabama I immediately got involved." 

2. Expound on a favorite UADM memory.

"My favorite memory was from this past year towards the end of The Big Event when one of our miracle kids was leaving and he told his mom he wanted to come to Dance Marathon everyday because it was the best day of his life.  Knowing that we made such an impact on one kid who usually has to deal with hospital visits, doctors appointments and a bunch of other annoying everyday things that I can't even imagine was one of the proudest moments of my life."


3. Why do you think students should get involved with UADM?


"As cliche as it sounds UADM has something for every type of person.  Whether your quiet and shy, loud and outgoing or somewhere in between no one wants to watch a child suffer.  Not one person would wish a disease or cancer upon a young boy or girl and this is what makes UADM so amazing.  It's a chance for all of these different people to come together and fight for something so much bigger than all of us.  It helps us realize that there are bigger things going on in life than whether or not that guy called you back or if you should go to that party on Friday.  It's the most selfless and worthwhile thing you can do in college. "


4. What is the best part of UADM?


"The best part of UADM is that we are literally saving children's lives.  I don't think that gets stressed enough when talking about UADM....the money raised goes directly to the hospital to buy equipment/fund treatments that save lives of the kids who need it.  It is an awesome idea that college students can do so much good and impact families in such huge ways."





Next up we have...

Caroline Bechtel

Caroline is the Overall Operations and Finance Chair for UADM!

1. Why did you decide to get involved?

"Honestly, I don't even think I had any idea what I was getting involved with.      However, I believed in the mission and have been working hard for that mission every day since."


2. Expound on a favorite UADM memory!

"My absolute FAVORITE memory was at UADM 2013 when I was in the family room blowing bubbles with our Miracle Kid, Caleb!"


3. Why do you think students should get involved with UADM?

"It is the only organization where you: a. Make Friends b. Have Fun c. DO GOOD!"


4. What's the best part of UADM?

"The best part of UADM is all the people I've gotten to meet. From the staff to the dancers to the sponsors, everyone is so willing to give of themselves for these kids." 

Say hey to Nick Allan , y'all! 
He is Captain of the Varsity Squad, and the guy decked out in UADM attire in the pic! 


1. Why did you decide to get involved?

"Katie was my Honors Year One mentor, so I heard about it from her.  The more she talked about it, the more excited I became.  I attended a Morale meeting and was hooked."



2. Expound on a favorite UADM memory!

"My favorite memory from UADM is probably seeing Adam Beg get tackled when he was the snitch during Quidditch.  He hit the ground pretty hard!"


3. Why do you think students should get involved with UADM?

"It is so much fun, and plus you get to have the opportunity to affect the lives of the children and families who receive treatment from the hospital.  It is an indescribable feeling seeing the kids' faces light up because you are helping."


4. What's the best part of UADM?

"The best part of UADM has got to be knowing how happy it makes the children.  The dancing is a ton of fun too."

There's your sneak peek! Stay tuned for more staff intros coming soon! 

*To learn more about UADM and how to get involved, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook! 


FTK,
Mack