Knight-Thon — UCF’s largest student-driven philanthropy — raised $865,598.60 for children at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer, and revealed the fundraising efforts in the university’s first-ever virtual dance marathon.
Knight-Thon at UCF previously announced it would be canceled, but Executive Director Zaineb Saied said the executive board and leadership team put in endless work to bring as many events from the physical main event to the virtual event held on Saturday.
“Our team very quickly decided we couldn’t just end our year on a cancelation statement — hours of work, not even just the executive board, but participants and team captains all year were working really hard to raise money,” Saied said. “We felt like canceling wasn’t fair to them and to the campus and they deserved better.”
The cancellation came after news of universities nationwide moving to remote instruction — including UCF — due to the coronavirus pandemic. UCF moved to remote learning on March 16.
“It was a big moment for our leadership team in that everyone had to forget about what their traditional roles are planning this event and lend a hand in places that they may not have been comfortable but this team was so willing to do it,” Saied said.
The Office of Student Involvement’s website states the philanthropy event raised about $1.3 million last year.
“The focus of our main event isn’t to have people raise thousands of dollars,” Saied, senior nonprofit management major, said. “It’s really just to celebrate everything everyone has done this year.“
Knight-Thon begins accepting donations each summer for the spring Miracle Network Dance Dance Marathon event held each spring, Saied said.
All proceeds go to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando — a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
